Complicated
by Deadeye1
Summary: Gogo and Tadashi may have had instant chemistry, but the journey to starting a relationship can be rocky when both sides have a lot of personal baggage to sort out. Includes Tomadashi Week Prompts AND functions as a Prequel to Take on Me.
1. Hello Goodbye

Note: Tomadashi Week Prompt 1 – Goodbye

Not only is this part of Tomadashi Week, it will also serve as a prequel to my other story, Take on Me. Don't worry – this one is going to remain tame for the purposes of public consumption!

oooo

You say yes, I say no.

You say stop and I say go go go, oh no.

You say goodbye and I say hello.

oooo

Tadashi's First Week of His Sophmore Year of College.

Tuesday – Noon – [Tadashi]

He knew about her even before he met her. Word travels fast in a small program, and the SFIT Advanced Applied Sciences and Technology labs (the "Nerd Lab" to the rest of the campus) was already buzzing about the freshman that had attended morning classes. Words like 'scary', 'mean' and 'bitch' had filled the halls. While never one to partake in a lot of idle gossip, Tadashi was intrigued. As a sophomore, he had spent most of the previous year settling in and adjusting. He knew how hard it could be.

Tadashi also understood what it was like to be a little different. The Nerd Lab was not known for stunning personalities. While a certain level of personability was expected, as a presentation was part of entry, most of the students were very much socially awkward or a little bit off of normal. As a result, he was a little bit of an anomaly. He was largely friendly, personable and approachable which threw some of the other students off a little.

But little had prepared him for the new girl that swaggered into the lab like she owned it. From the descriptions, he had expected some amazon to stride in. Instead, it was a petite girl chewing gum with a bike strapped to her back. Still, he could definitely see where the misgivings came from.

She wasn't your standard Nerd Lab attendee. Her outfit showed a lot of skin – cutoff shorts, a loose tank top with a sports bra underneath. This in turn showed off the fact that she was tattooed. A colorful dragon coiled along her right shoulder, and a Korean style lion on her left thigh. The SFIT cap on her head was accentuated by the ponytail sticking out the back. She was pretty, in a rough and tumble sort of way – definitely not the sort of girl seen in the SFIT halls on a regular basis outside of the occasional bike messenger.

She popped a bubble between her teeth as she stalked her way through the lab. It was moderately busy that day, but people gave her a wide berth. It was clear that her attitude was less than warm. If her body language wasn't enough, the icy stare from heavy-lidded eyes was more than enough to clear people out of her way.

Footsteps broke Tadashi out of his casual observation of the young woman hunting for a place to set up shop. "I see you've noticed our latest addition." Robert Callaghan stood there with a coffee cup in his hand. Callaghan was a brilliant scientist, a charismatic mentor, and master of understatement. "She's a little rough around the edges, but there's definitely talent there."

Tadashi nodded as he turned back to his project. The oblong pod was the first start on his way to making a fully functional personal healthcare assistant. 'Alphamax' or 'A-Max' as Tadashi sometimes referred to it was to be a simple search and rescue machine, capable of assessing basic physical conditions and extracting injured people from a location.

"I'd never question your judgment, Professor, but it looks like she's going to have a tough time fitting in. Being friendly doesn't look like her forte."

There was no immediate reply. Instead, Tadashi could feel Professor Callaghan standing there silently, watching the young man work diligently. The look on the older man's face couldn't be called 'expectant' as much as it could be considered the look of mild amusement someone might get while waiting for a foregone conclusion to occur.

"…I'm guessing you'd like me to help her transition?"

"I'd like you to be her Guide for the Orientation Tour. I'd find that to be a great personal favor to me, Mr. Hamada." The professor sipped from the coffee mug in hand. The Orientation Tour was a three day program designed to help SFIT admittees make the change from wherever they were from to the school culture. Although some considered it an annoying inconvenience, it was actually quite valuable given the rather unorthodox way that the Advanced Applied Sciences and Technology collected students.

Tadashi turned again to see the woman setting up, hands already flying across Bay 23's holographic interface controls to personalize her workstation with all the ease of an expert. He looked back up at Professor Callaghan and nodded. "Isn't that normally a job for seniors?"

"This one is kind of a special case. I need the big guns." When Callaghan had found out how friendly Tadashi could be, he had turned the boy into the lab's unofficial welcome wagon. Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses, and several prospective students that had visited the lab from the local high school had submitted showcase projects, and many of the new entering class had already gotten a visit.

"Okay," Tadashi replied simply. He didn't mind being called in for his pleasant demeanor. There were worse things in life, after all.

"Very good then. I'll get the paperwork cleared."

"Anything I should know?"

"Yes," Callaghan replied, taking another sip from his cup as he walked away. "Careful. I've been told she bites."

Tadashi chuckled in amusement. Curiouser and curiouser.

oo00oo

Tuesday - Late Afternoon - [Gogo]

"So you're the stooge they assigned me for orientation week?" Aggressive, insulting words didn't really reach the girl's eyes. If anything, she seemed reserved and distant. Her face was inscrutable, betraying no real emotion. Her body language was a different story. Folded arms, slightly arched eyebrow – it was pure skepticism.

She hadn't been really welcomed by the student body with open arms, not that she wanted that. For the most part, her tough girl demeanor was earned and not an act. However, it was often an issue asserting that in the real world. Not so at SFIT. Gogo knew how difficult she could be. The thing was, she reveled in it and enjoyed a world where she could make people fold or flinch whenever she wanted. Then there was this... whatever he was.

A crooked smile crossed his face. She was bristling under the idea that she needed help, but there was something off about this one. Gogo couldn't quite put her finger on it. "Look, it's just a thing the school has us do. Not everyone really needs it, but we don't really do special treatment around here. Besides, it's just three days. After that, you can tell me to take a hike. School's happy, we're happy. Whaddya say?"

There was a pause. Her face was unreadable – she had long practiced a look that made people wonder if emotion was a foreign concept to her. Though her eyelids were heavy and half closed, her eyes were clear, sharp and searching his face silently. It was only a few seconds, but it seemed to stretch for an eternity.

_He's not flinching._

There was a voice that never whispered, but quietly pointed out things when she was having a hard time making a decision. It never judged. It never suggested. It only made note and posed uncomfortable questions. Indeed, the young man was not yet cowering or breaking under one of her coldest stares. If that was the case, it was certainly not worth the effort maintaining it.

The ice woman stare dissolved almost instantly, and the punk girl gave a nod, turning back to her work. The stylus in her hand drew a bold line on the holographic grid before her. "Fine. I'll be done with this design draft in twenty minutes. Come back then and we'll do whatever it is we're supposed to do to check off the boxes on Callaghan's list."

He was still behind her. Why? She could feel his energy – more confused than intimidated still. "Was I unclear about something, Mr. Whatever-Your-Name-Is?"

"No. That was just way easier than I thought it would be. And it's Tadashi. Tadashi Hamada. No sense rushing it. Meet you at the quad in front of Kant hall on Monday, 7:00AM."

Gogo's face flushed slightly out of actual emotion.

_Mad that he called you out on that could shoulder act in less than five minutes? _

"Mn," came the short grunt. "Goodbye, Hamada," she raised a hand to wave goodbye, although it was more a signal that the conversation was over and that he should shoo away.

Her face grew redder as she heard him laugh, the sound of footsteps retreating into the distance.

oo00oo

Wednesday – Morning – [Tadashi]

Aunt Cass had made sure that he left the house that day with an extra coffee and danish. She had been inordinately helpful when she found out he had been hand-picked by Professor Callaghan to help with someone's Orientation Week. That helpfulness had turned into straight meddling when it was revealed that Gogo was a girl in casual conversation. Hiro had not assisted anything when he found the young woman's profile on the school directory.

"She's cute!" Cass had exclaimed, and Tadashi had to admit there was a certain attractiveness to her that the punk haircut, mean-as-sin attitude and scowl present on her face in the picture was unable to erase. Or was it accentuate? Girls like her weren't really his thing – in fact, girls hadn't really been a thing at all for a while. Between entering college and breaking his back to be the best, dating and girls had sort of fallen by the wayside.

The chant of 'Tadashi's got a girlfriend!' had followed him out of the café courtesy of his eleven (and 3/4ths) year old brother as Cass handed him a cup and bag of her best, because first impressions are important. With a last hug from his Aunt and a raspberry blown at him from his brother, Tadashi found himself waiting for the girl at the curb in front of Kant Hall reviewing the guide pamphlet. He'd be the first to admit that while the tour had been mildly helpful, it had largely been a waste of time. It was nice to know where the bursar was, but it would have been more helpful to know which Chinese food places would deliver on campus and how late you could stay before the courtesy shuttles stopped running.

She showed up a little early. The crisp San Fransokyo air didn't seem to bite into her much as she rolled up, her ultra-light fixie supporting her small frame. Leggings, t-shirt, a simple hoodie and a helmet was her outfit of the day, a sharp contrast from Tadashi's jeans, button up shirt and windbreaker. The fact that she showed up was a pleasant surprise – from all the muttering about how she behaved at school, he almost expected her to blow off the appointment.

She fixed him with that same empty stare as he stood from the curb. The girl looked tired, dark rings under her eyes. They did nothing to dull her sharp gaze as she took off her helmet to adjust her hair. The crinkle of a bag pulled her from the practiced motion, as did the smell of something delicious.

"…thanks," was the quiet acknowledgement as he handed her the food and coffee without even asking if she wanted it. Reading people was what Tadashi did. As difficult as the girl was to interpret, certain things were universal. From the look on her face, Tadashi could tell that she had planned to reject the offer. From the sound of her stomach grumbling, he could tell she would have done so solely to assert her self-reliant nature.

He gave her another smile. She stubbornly forced eye contact as she looked up from the bag's contents. The punk girl's face was neutral, although it softened ever so slightly when she bit into the pastry using the bag as a holder to keep her hands clean. Tadashi had to really look and think due to her reserved nature and subtle expressions and body language. For some reason he felt himself looking at her a little bit too long each time.

Each time he looked, he wanted to look longer. Something about her made him want to know everything about her.

"…so what's the deal here?" The hard edge in her voice was still there, albeit muffled behind a mouthful of pastry. "You taking me on a grand tour of this fine campus that I've already mapped out, or…?" She recovered quickly, already challenging despite catching her off guard with breakfast. He was starting to understand her a little.

Tadashi watched her expression as he waved the pamphlet at her and made a big show of reviewing the itinerary. The impatient look on her face only made him want to tease her more. "According to this thing, I'm supposed to make sure you're acquainted with the counselor's office and student services in the morning, and then take you around the lecture halls."

"Ugh."

The frown on her face as she sipped at the hot coffee was almost audible. "Tell you what," Tadashi intoned lightly, "We'll finish the tour up fast so we can check off the boxes, and I'll tell you about the stuff that really matters, like when the gym gets busy, the secret cafeteria menu, and who to talk to about getting the good study rooms."

The look of irritation on her face instantly neutralized, but she didn't say anything. An eyebrow raised. Skepticism. She stared at him hard again, eyes searching for something. Tadashi tried to find purchase in the look, find the basis for her behavior. Maybe she was just an extremely wary person. Most girls wished they were this mysterious, he thought to himself with an internal smirk. Usually it was an affectation, designed to get attention. This one was definitely different. Curiosity demanded more.

"Hm. Ok," Her face was hidden by the coffee cup, but he could swear he saw the corners of her lips turn up in a small smile.

oo00oo

Wednesday – Evening – [Tadashi]

Tadashi had kept his promise. After a whirlwind blow-though of the facilities, Tadashi had quickly taken her to the important places on campus. That weird little nook just under the footbridge path that had a pile of stones good enough to sit down and take a breather. The little bun shop tucked amongst the student apartments just a stone's throw away from campus that sold little iced coffees in old fashioned milk bottles. Ming's – the hole in the wall Chinese joint that seemed to have more Hispanic workers than Asians, but was cheap, filling, and fast.

To his surprise, Gogo hadn't been terribly resistant to the informal tour. At first she was passive. She let him do most of the talking, her blank expression like a mask. She would lag or trail behind by a step or two, seemingly reluctant or observant of where they were going and what they were doing. By late day, however, she started trying to match or exceed his pace. Silence and staring were replaced by expressive tilts of the head, questions of 'What's next?', or 'What's good here?' She offered only a little – the tantalizing bits left him feverishly trying to put her enigma together.

More importantly, somewhere along the line she forgot she was supposed to be angry. Frowns, cold stares and scowls eventually dissolved, revealing a softer face and small smiles. More than once, Tadashi found himself watching her when he felt she wasn't paying attention. The tiny, almost secretive smiles, the way she tucked her hair back behind her ear, the way she moved and how she was built. Tadashi had consciously determined that he found her attractive, and that was all – a biological function. She was pleasing to the eye – he would be careful to keep that in mind when attempting to read her further.

She still wasn't sharing a whole lot about herself, but she let him ramble and appeared to be listening occasionally, sometimes engaging in light inquiry about his small family and what his Aunt's Café was like. He found himself losing track of time, and she did nothing to indicate that she was keeping tally either.

She didn't even notice that it had gotten a little dark by the time they got back to Kant Hall. Gogo kept walking when Tadashi stopped, only to scuff to a halt a few feet away. "Hm?" The look on her face was clear: _Why'd you stop?_

"It's six o'clock. I gotta go home, help Aunt Cass with dinner. You locked up your bike here, right?"

"Oh. Hm." She nodded, turning around. She forced eye contact again as she stepped past him. Tadashi never looked away, responding with a crooked smile. Sharp eyes flicked away from his as she stopped by her bike, kneeling silently to pop the lock.

"Well, I guess that's a wrap," Tadashi said conversationally, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets. He was frankly a little disappointed as to how cold she had suddenly become. Even though their interactions throughout the day had been largely one sided, she had been receptive and engaged him in conversation. He could feel the iron wall being raised again. It bothered him. He didn't know why.

"Yeah. G'bye." She fumbled with the lock, turning it over once or twice.

"Same time and place tomorrow?" He stepped forward, crouching next to her to hold the combination pad up to the light so she could tap in the number sequence. Fingers brushed, and his heart jumped in spite of himself. She glanced up at him with a frown. For once, he couldn't return the eye contact. The combination was entered.

"Mn. G'bye," she stressed, standing and stepping away. Her gum popped. Was she blushing a little? It was hard to tell in the dimming lights and the harsh halogen street lamps flickering into existence.

He suppressed a nervous laugh, turning away. "Yeah. Okay. See you tomorrow." Despite the awkwardness, he was looking forward to tomorrow morning.

oo00oo

Thursday - Morning – [Gogo]

She came prepared.

She had eaten, had her coffee, and cleaned up a little. Highlights had been refreshed, hair washed and conditioned. A light dusting of makeup applied, just for appearances. Eyes were bright. Time to be on top of her game. No more of this 'taken off guard' crap.

The question that had been bugging her since he first stood his stupid face in front of hers was: what was Tadashi's angle? Clearly it wasn't to be Callaghan's little sidekick. While it was clear that the faculty favored Tadashi, he wasn't getting any favors from it and there was none of the usual adulation that a toady often showed. He wasn't a wolf. She had given him a few opportunities to be a lech, but there were no stray hands, suggestive comments or questionable looks outside the normal glances any healthy guy would take.

He was just… _nice_.

It confused her no end. She had always been taught to question, investigate, and offer little and obtain more to find out the true motives of the people around her. Tadashi, to the best of her ability, seemed to have no motives other than just showing her around and being friendly. It was time to take another approach.

Jeans, leather jacket, fingerless gloves, all accessories for the black and yellow Fujikawa Road Warrior she was leaning on in front of Kant Hall. The 1200 CC forkless bike with push rod suspension and carbo-disc wheels was a beautiful beast. Spotless, meticulously maintained, it looked like a superheroine next to the battered pile of junk Tadashi rode in on. She almost laughed as the heavily dented, scraped glorified supermarket scooter rattled to a stop in front of her. There was also no small feeling of triumph as he gave her a slack-jawed stare for a solid second or two as he stepped off the bike.

"What in the name of all things motorized is that?" Gogo asked, struggling to hold back unbridled laughter.

Tadashi shook his head as he wheeled the thing over to the bike rack and locked it with a chain. "Cut it out. You might hurt her feelings. I'll have you know that Veronica and I have been through some pretty tough scrapes together."

She barked out a laugh. She couldn't help it. Another taunt danced on her lips as she glanced at Tadashi. He was only pretending to be insulted. It was easy to see that he was amused behind those brown eyes of his. The glance turned into a gaze before she turned away sharply. A momentary feeling of discomfort filled her chest as she slung a leg over her bike, slipping on her helmet. "Get on," she intoned flatly. "I'll go wherever, but we're doing it at my speed today."

The tall boy held up the pamphlet, his half-smile fixed on his features. "Well, it says we're mostly on campus today. Lab tours and stuff. Then I'm supposed to make sure you've gotten all your lab stuff from Supplies."

Sharp eyes stared at him – safe inside the helmet, visor down. It was different, looking at his face from behind fiberglass, padding and plastic. "I really don't want to do any of that stuff."

"Okay, well, tell you what. We do one lab, meet some friends of mine, and then we go do what you wanna do. Fair?"

There was a pause, and a reluctant movement off of the bike. She pulled her helmet off of her head, expression neutral again. "Yeah. Okay." Her hand ran along the gas tank of the motorcycle. When did she start compromising? "Let's get this over with."

oo00oo

Thursday – Early Afternoon– [Tadashi]

He found himself looking for excuses to stop and point things out just so that she'd step a few paces ahead of him just so he could watch her walk. Tadashi chastised himself for the juvenile behavior, but she looked great and he couldn't help but check her out. Still, it made him feel guilty. He was supposed to be helping out, not entertaining a schoolyard crush.

He felt a little more scattered today, and she was taking advantage of it. Far chattier today than yesterday, the girl appeared to have found her mental footing and was busy giving him a hard time about his bike, his clothes. He really couldn't hear it over teenage hormones. He smiled and played it off. Tadashi was intensely logical, knew that a lot of what he felt was the fault of biology, chemical reactions and simple wiring in the hindbrain. Despite the conscious thought, there was little he could do about the fact that her butt looked great in tight jeans.

The automatic door swooshed open as he picked up the pace, getting himself under control as Gogo groused on entry. "Oh boy. You're showing me the lab I was just in yesterday. Whoop de do."

"Don't you ever get tired of complaining?" Tadashi responded teasingly. She shot him a glare as he walked into the workshop proper. "There they are. Wasabi! Fred! I want you to meet someone."

A large black man with dreadlocks looked up from his workstation, magnification goggles still on his face. "Seriously, Tadashi? Why do you insist on helping Fred make that ridiculous nickname stick?" The soldering iron in his hand switched off as he took off his goggles to see Tadashi with the Scary Girl in tow.

"All I'm saying is that you're like that extra spice in the dish we call life," Fred drawled from his battered, smelly recliner nearby as he flipped through another pulse pounding issue of the Amazing Spider-Ham. "Also, you dropped a lot of that stuff on your shirt. It was epic. I'm not even sure how you managed to run into that waiter."

"Because you decided to wear your stupid Gamera mask to the dinner table and you decided to show off its realistic fire breath action," Wasabi said sourly before looking back to the pair approaching the station.

"Wasabi?" It was a one word rhetorical question as she looked at Tadashi, then Fred before peering up at the big man. "Whatever. Hi. I guess I'm the new kid that everyone's been talking about. Name's…"

"Gogo!"

"What."

Fred looked pleased with himself. "Yeah. Gogo. I remember you. You were screaming that this morning when the band bus blocked the intersection headed to Kant Hall, remember?" Gogo's harsh glare came back immediately – it was amazing how quickly she could switch that on. Fred cowered almost immediately.

"That was you!?" Wasabi said, turning to look at the smaller girl. "The one screaming '_Go! Go! For the love of God, go! I hate being late_'?'"

"Maybe it was, _Wasabi._" She stressed his nickname, causing the big man to twitch.

Tadashi grinned at her. "Did you hurry over just to see me?"

"No! Are you stupid?" She scowled, shoving Tadashi's chest. He laughed despite himself. As she turned to fully train her scowl on him, he noted that the intensity of her stare dropped just half a notch.

"Anyway," Wasabi interjected, attempting to sort out the mild chaos. "Is this the person you said you wanted to take with us to lunch?"

oo00oo

Thursday – Early Evening– [Gogo]

The wind tore across her body as she headed home alone on her motorcycle after lunch. Speed was her friend. Where others needed to direct their full attention when hurtling at 85 miles an hour on a busy street, Gogo could partition her thoughts to pilot and focus on problems eating at her.

When it came to building a friendship, you couldn't go wrong with a good old fashioned pizza. That's what Tadashi had said when he had led them into the restaurant. Gogo had responded that she didn't need any of them as friends. He wore the face well, but she could see the crack in his armor when that gem came out. She immediately regretted saying it.

She didn't know why.

It had been an easy, natural response. It came out almost without thinking. In the past, words like that kept people at arm's length, pushed aside the useless and stupid. Usually the response was anger, or equal coldness. The look that flicked across Tadashi's face for a split second was hurt, as if she had kicked a doting puppy. Gogo felt guilty, made even worse by the fact that she was starting to believe that there was no angle. He was only sharing what he had to try and make this situation more tenable for her. He had to know at this point from Callaghan how antisocial she was.

Lunch had been fairly uneventful. Tadashi and his friends had done most of the talking. She didn't really participate, but it wasn't particularly distracting until the end, when she decided that she just wasn't interested in being a part of it. She was uncomfortable. The way he kept looking at her made her uncomfortable. He didn't ignore her, didn't treat her like a piece of meat, and seemed to want to engage her in real conversation. She just wanted to leave – she didn't belong in a place like that.

Gogo had just lived in a dog-eat-dog world so long, she had forgotten that people could live without being on the take. Backstabbing, lying, and deceit was the norm where she was from, and that was just in high school. Gogo had taken the opportunity to just become the meanest, nastiest thing around… and in exchange almost all normal thought had burned away, leaving a paranoid, angry shell in its aftermath.

…then came along a sweet boy that gave her big puppydog eyes and was trying to show her the various trees and flowers and places to nap on campus. She hated herself for how she was behaving, and hated it even more that she only knew how to respond that way.

_Need a hand? _

_No. Goodbye._

_See you tomorrow? _

_Maybe. Goodbye._

_Come meet my friends? _

_They're boring and stupid. Goodbye._

_Okay, so lunch wasn't so hot, but do you want to…? _

_No. Goodbye._

The voice was mocking her, and she knew that the voice was only the part of her that was still left alive after dealing with adolescence ruled by iron fisted parents, backstabbing, petty, shallow, rich classmates and weirdos. It was sad and pathetic that the only part of her that wanted her to feel anything anymore was resorting to being mean in order to make a point.

She was home before she knew it. The apartment was a hole, and it cost a small fortune, but she managed between her job and the gift her parents gave her so she could manage the first few months on her own. Gogo pulled out her phone, stepping up to the second floor as she dialed the number Tadashi gave her.

It went to voicemail.

"Hey. Sorry for ducking out. I… wasn't feeling too good."

She paused a moment, opening the door with an old fashioned key and deadbolt.

"See y…"

The phone buzzed. Tadashi was returning her call.

"G'bye," she said hastily, shutting it off. Anger welled in her chest.

The phone banged and clattered off the far wall of the apartment the moment she opened the door.

oo00oo

Friday – Morning – [Gogo &amp; Tadashi]

It was another cold fall morning as he sat on the curb in front of Kant Hall, the chilly concrete's cold seeping into his pants. He didn't think she'd show up. The fog made it even less likely that she would. The entire campus was blanketed, making visibility poor past a few dozen feet.

Tadashi wasn't used to failing quite so completely, but he really didn't know what to do. He relied on methodical logic a lot, but found himself muddled by emotion. He was good with those, too, but truth be told, he was only good at those things one at a time. It wasn't a problem when he was given the opportunity to switch gears. It was much more difficult when it was a muddled mess.

He found her attractive. That made it even worse. Aesthetics aside, she was just fascinating to him. It wasn't the wounded bird act that interested him so much as just how tough she actually was compared to the weaknesses he had found. He thought going out, having some fun, and meeting new, friendly people would be enough. Instead, Gogo had gotten fed up and left. Tadashi had heard her message, and left one of his own but still felt like it was all very much up in the air.

The irony was that as fast as Gogo wanted to be, there was definitely a long, slow road ahead in order to adjust to SFIT life.

There was a soft scuff as wheels hissed to a stop, and Tadashi looked up from his melancholy musings to see the girl leaning over him on her fixie, a coffee and paper bag in hand. "Hey. Sorry I'm late. I stopped by your Aunt's Café. She said you didn't have breakfast." He had a sad look on his otherwise handsome features. The guilt worsened.

A crooked smile crossed his features as he stood. "Thanks." She chewed her lower lip as he opened the bag, stopping as he looked up.

"She's nice," Gogo said quietly, brushing her hair from her face as she peered at him.

"Yeah… nicest person I've ever known," Tadashi mused, taking the bag and coffee. It was hot – two creams, one sugar. Cass knew what her boys liked.

"I dunno. I think I might know someone nicer."

Tadashi went silent as he stopped drinking. Her face was neutral as always, but she wasn't able to look at him.

"Hey, look. I'm just not used to… this. This school thing with the friend stuff. I won't bore you with the details, so I'll keep it short. My school sucked. High school sucked, and all the kids there were jerks. My dad is mean, my siblings are brats, and my mom periodically checks in from Saturn to provide home spun wisdom and death threats every time she sees me with a new piercing or tattoo. It's like since I was eight I've been living in my own head, trying to get out of there and now that I have, I don't even know how to behave anymore."

Tadashi looked at her, quiet, face soft. It was the most he had ever heard her say in one sitting. Gogo sighed heavily. "I get it if you don't want to put up with my garbage. We'll just finish the day out with whatever is on the list and we'll say our goodbyes and call it square."

A soft laugh. She shot a curdling glare at him, but one look into his warm eyes made her feel terrible for even having thought about anger. He could see the flames in hers and saw how hot the blaze had to be to protect the contents inside. Silence settled for a moment as they looked at one another, the fog rolling about them, making them feel like they were the only two people in existence.

"I don't like goodbyes," he eventually replied, holding out his hand to shake. "And I don't like giving up on anything."

That infuriatingly adorable smile made her so sick her heart hurt. There was a twinge in his chest as she took his hand, and the smile on his face grew into a grin to kill the feeling of infatuation.

"Friends?" She asked softly, her eyes peered at his. Yeah… friends. That was safe. A soft, tentative smile eased onto her features. It was the first one he had ever seen on her. Gogo wasn't just pretty. Her smile made her captivating.

"Mn. Okay," replied Tadashi, grinning. She punched his shoulder.


	2. Don't You Forget About Me

Note: Tomadashi Week Prompt 2 – Memory

Not only is this part of Tomadashi Week, it will also serve as a prequel to my other story, Take on Me. K+ rating solely for occasional college-age dialogue.

This is by far one of the more difficult things I've tried to do, writing-wise. Why? Disney gods demand musical numbers. It's weird, it doesn't always work that well, but that's why we write, right? This was extremely experimental for me. I suggest reading it with a Youtube window open.

Also, in case you're wondering where Honey Lemon is, she hasn't been admitted yet. I just like the idea that she's actually the youngest despite being the second tallest.

oooo

Don't you forget about me;

I'll be alone, dancing you know it baby.

oooo

Tadashi's Sophomore Year – End of Fall Quarter

Gogo lay back on the steps outside the Seburo Building with Tadashi and Fred, popping bubbles idly as they waited for Wasabi to finish his last exam before winter break. The three were wrapped up for the weather, but aside from the cool wet air, it wasn't terribly uncomfortable. Wasabi had been testing for a solid hour already, and the group was starting to get a little bored.

Fred had already lapsed into his own fantasy realm, and when he realized it was cold enough to see his breath he had started demonstrating his various kaiju imitations to various passers-by. He roared and screeched, blowing foggy breath everywhere. If she was honest, the impressions were really pretty accurate based on the movies she had seen. Then again, she didn't want to encourage him – it was embarrassing enough as it is. Still, with her and Tadashi sitting there, nobody was really going to say anything.

Things had been going well over the past few months. After a bumpy start, Tadashi had managed to smooth things over as he always did. The four of them had started to hang out quite a bit to the point that some of the students had taken to nicknaming them the Ninja Turtles, as they contained a leader, a technical stickler, a cool but rude girl, and a party dude. Fred had insisted that Gogo would actually be Venus de Milo, but everyone overruled him on the grounds that nobody knew (or cared) who that was.

Tadashi was busy tearing notebook paper out of his now useless spiral bound notebook. Despite the gloves on his hands, he was able to fold fairly pretty paper animals which he was then placing on Gogo. Between her utterly indifferent attitude and the fact that she had been laying there for the better part of an hour, she looked like a tiny Noah's ark if you squinted and were willing to believe that the ark was shaped like an attractive, occasionally hostile Korean girl.

The doors of the building opened, and students began filing out. Gogo sat up, spilling all the paper animals to the ground. She caught Tadashi's silly pout out of the corner of her eye and smiled at him. What a doofus. "So who wants to bet he's still going to be in there agonizing over whether his penmanship is adequate?'

"Not taking that one," Tadashi said, his faux pout disappearing as he cleaned up the animal shaped litter with a smirk. "I have more respect for my money. You still going with us to Shenanigan's tonight?"

Okay food, terrible service, and a staff that thought carding was more of a friendly suggestion rather than the law. Gogo nodded, standing to her full height and stretching, hearing her back pop. "Yeah. For a bit anyway." The transition had been easier, and she had calmed down quite a bit since just a few months ago.

It was about that time when Wasabi came stepping out of the building, with a smile on his face. "Aced it!" He announced before anyone could ask. "And no, Gogo, I didn't finish in twenty minutes and then go through and check whether or not my i's were dotted or my t's crossed. I was able to double check my work, and so: last exam's in the can. Where're we going?"

Gogo smirked, shaking her head. "Shenanigan's apparently. Because any victory in college should be celebrated with heart disease."

"Hey, any place that dumps double fudge on desserts that already include double fudge is okay by me," Fred interjected as he patted Wasabi on the back. "Good job, man! It's also totally cool that you're conquering that OCD thing. Remember when you spent forty five minutes on that last midterm over a semi colon?"

"Gee, thanks Fred," Wasabi said, still smiling but with a veneer of irritation. "Thanks for putting my achievements into perspective."

"Hey, we've all done a little growing this past quarter," Tadashi said, returning from his trip to the recycling bin. "At the risk of sounding like a middle school educational video on emotional health, I guess."

"Speak for yourself, Tadashi." She shoulder bumped him playfully before turning away to head down the stairs. "C'mon. Let's go before my conscience decides that I should abandon you all for healthier life choices, like eating Crisco straight from the container."

Wasabi laughed as he stepped down after her. He was in surprisingly good cheer, but smoking an exam in your core classes was nothing to sneeze at. "Actually, Gogo, I think out of anyone, you're the one that's changed the most."

"Really." Hard eyes were suspicious of the man as he stood in front of her, a grin on his face as Fred sidled up nearby.

"Yes, really."

"…where's that music coming from?" Tadashi asked absently as a hipster kid walked by with an old fashioned 80's ghetto blaster.

o/~ o/~ o/~

**We Remember The Fear**

(Sung to the tune of "September" by Earth, Wind &amp; Fire)

**Wasabi:**

Do you remember when you first got here in September?

You scared all the kids and the professors,

You made everyone here afraid!

We were all fearin'

Beggin', prayin', hopin' and cheerin'

As we hid by our desks

Tadashi could just sort it for us, okay?

[_Gogo stared at Wasabi blankly. Tadashi buried his face in his hand as Fred swayed and danced by like a fool. Several students followed suit because that's how musicals work.]_

**Fred:**

Ba de ya, inflicting lots of trauma,

Ba de ya, causing all that drama,

Ba de ya, made us want to run away!

Ba de ya de ya de ya

Ba de ya de ya de ya

Ba de ya de ya de ya de ya!

[_The dancing crowd grew larger. Gogo tried to hustle faster as Tadashi kept pace. Wasabi grooved by them, impossibly unimpeded by the shuffling throng._]

**Wasabi:**

You were so angry,

And socially deranged, quite frankly

So sarcastic and mean

Remember how we wished you'd go away!

Now December, and you're much nicer than September.

At last a little less rude,

Now we are all glad you're here to stay!

[_Gogo tossed up her hands out of frustration._]

[_'Why is he singing?' Tadashi asked in a stage whisper_.]

[_'I dunno. Is it sad that I'm less confused that Fred is?' Gogo whispered back._]

**Fred:**

Ba de ya, scared some of the teachers,

Ba de ya, almost called a preacher,

Ba de ya, thought you might be possessed, okay?

Ba de ya, say do you remember?

Ba de ya, glad it's not September!

Ba de ya, glad that we're all friends today!

[_Fred did a pirouette, fell off the stairs, and was caught by Wasabi_.]

[_'This is so weird,' Gogo said, subconsciously grabbing a hold of Tadashi's arm._]

[_'Might as well go with it, I guess,' the boy replied, swaying slightly to the early R&amp;B beat with a smile._]

**Fred &amp; Wasabi:**

Ba de ya de ya de ya

Ba de ya de ya de ya

Ba de ya de ya de ya de ya!

[_She shrugged. When in Rome. She swayed along with Tadashi._]

Ba de ya de ya de ya

Ba de ya de ya de ya

Ba de ya de ya de ya de ya!

o/~ o/~ o/~

"Thank you for that upsetting, mildly insulting musical interlude," Gogo said flatly as she mounted her bike on the rack attached to the hatch of Wasabi's car.

"No problem. I find it's just best to go with it when the urge hits," Fred chirped as the group made its way to Wasabi's lunchbox-shaped car.

"I'm sure it'll get better when we get to Shenanigan's," Tadashi supplied helpfully, and Gogo rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Just sit in the back with me so I don't shove Fred out of the door if he starts singing again."

Tadashi grinned. "That why you're still holding on to my arm?" She looked down. So she was. She let go of the arm like it was a dead trout, face tinging a slightly deeper pink than the cold air would allow as she slid into the backseat.

oo00oo

Shenanigan's was a popular college hangout, located in the 'Goldilocks' zone between the tech school, the rest of the town, and the sketchier areas. That meant a wayward student could get all of the fun with limited risk of getting caught. Once upon a time, it had been part of a larger chain or restaurants that spanned most of the United States. However, hard economic times and the gradual focus on health food had eventually whittled the once mighty lard and red meat empire down to a few stores in Arizona, New Mexico, and the one lone holdout in California right in the heart of San Fransokyo.

The last day of finals week meant the joint was ridiculously crowded, filled with frat boys and nerd groups. For this one day of the year smack dab between the quarter's end and Christmas, everyone was unified in the understanding that differences could be put aside for the euphoria that came with the idea of going home and not having to study.

The group sat at a booth, taking in the sights, sounds (and occasionally the odd smell) to different degrees. Wasabi's good mood had sobered slightly due to the deplorable state of the place. It was loud, filled with drunkards and spilled food. Fred was as mellow as he ever was, and Tadashi and Gogo were fairly relaxed. Gogo was used to this kind of crowd, having spent the last few years of high school sneaking into places she wasn't allowed, and Tadashi… well, she had yet to see a place where he didn't find a way to fit in.

They had ordered from a woman that looked like she'd have been more at home at the Mudka's Meat Hut truck stop down the road. After an unenthusiastic exchange, they found themselves waiting for their entrees. The group knew that a response could take a while. Shenanigan's wasn't known for its awesome service even when it was empty, much less when it was packed wall to wall with rowdy kids.

"I think I need some air. Or a paper bag to breathe in," Wasabi announced, sliding out of the booth. "Come get me when the food gets here."

"Don't be such a wuss," Gogo said almost cheerfully as she moved her head, ducking a wayward fork that clattered off of the plate glass by their seat onto the table. "This isn't half as bad as the Phuc Mi Long Noodle House in Sacto."

"That sounds horrible," Wasabi said as he pushed past a guy in a panda bear hat waving around a beer mug trying to proposition a pretty coed into helping out a 'sad panda'. "Why are you only happy when there are horrible things everywhere?"

"Don't answer that," Tadashi said, laughing, "I'm pretty sure it's a rhetorical question, although there's an Irish pub named Ri'Ra' we can go to if you're really interested in being surrounded by rowdy drunks."

"Speaking of," Fred said, a sly grin on his face, "I think I see my hookup for drinks over there." A hand raised in the back, waving at the laid back teen. Tadashi turned his head to see a girl with a shaved head covered entirely in tattoos waving Fred over.

"Wow," Gogo said, peering at the woman as Fred sunk down below the booth, only to emerge on the other side. "Do we wanna know?"

"We volunteered together last arbor day," Fred explained, before sidewinding his way through the crowd. "Heeey! Jackie!"

Tadashi watched the boy head the opposite way of Wasabi and looked back at the girl across the table who was clearly enjoying the ambiance. "You know, the sad thing is I don't think he's joking about that in the slightest."

"I remember thinking that he had this hidden dark side after I met him," Gogo said, a small smile playing on her lips as she picked up the formerly ballistic utensil, tapping it along the side of the table absently. "Doesn't look like he really even bothers to hide it… more like we don't like looking directly at it."

"Oh yeah?" Tadashi leaned forward. "And what about me?"

The aluminum fork let out a 'ting' as she struck a small jukebox at the end of the table. "Hm? What about you, Hamada? You're pretty much my best friend at this point. Does it matter?"

A smile. "Humor me."

Almost as if by instinct alone, she palmed a quarter out of her pocket, popping it into the machine. The punk guitar music filled the booth as he raised an eyebrow at her. "Hey, you said just go with it, right?"

"By all means."

o/~ o/~ o/~

**Memories (This Year)**

(Sung to the tune of "Memory Lane" by McFly)

**Gogo:**

When I met you

I never knew

That you'd be someone that I'd want around

Refused all your hellos; you didn't go... Just who the hell were you supposed to be?

[_'Fair enough.'_]

Mem'ries this year…

(I cringe inside)

To persevere, forget the times you weren't here

You help me steer.

Now I know that while I'm here, you'll be near.

[_'That's… almost sweet," Tadashi said, amused._]

[_'Don't read into it, but you're sort of an emotional rock, you know?' She gave him a grin, kicking his foot under the table._]

[_'Guess it's my turn, then?'_]

[_'By all means.'_]

**Tadashi:**

You made folks frown when you hit ground

But that only made me more curious

I knew after a while, if I could make you smile

I'd have a friend that also understands that:

Mem'ries this year…

(There right with you)

Should be sincere; our eyes and heads will remain clear

I'm glad you're here,

It's so good to know that you won't disappear.

[_'Got that right. I'm like a vampire – you invited me in and now you're stuck with me.'_]

[_'I can think of worse fates, Marceline," Tadashi replied_.]

[_'You're not flirting with me, are you? We're already stuck in a musical – I refuse to flirt, too," she teased, eyelids dropping to half-mast._]

[_'Wouldn't dream of it.'_]

**Gogo &amp; Tadashi:**

So far this year

(One quarter ends)

So far this year

(More round the bend)

So far this year

(We're best of friends...)

[_The two traded glances, sharing the look a bit too long. He broke away first, glancing up as if to look for the server._]

**Tadashi:**

Mem'ries ahead…

Our hearts and heads,

Best left unsaid, 'cause I don't want to be misread

So careful now, it's a place where maybe we shouldn't tread.

[_She found herself looking at her hands suddenly. Despite how ridiculous she felt, she couldn't stop what came next_.]

**Gogo:**

So far this year

(One night before)

So far this year

(We'll cram 'til four)

So far this year

(Did you want more?)

Mem'ries this year…

o/~ o/~ o/~

They found each other's eyes again. She looked at him questioningly, as if posing an unspoken question that she knew he had the answer to. There was no answer given – just a sad smile in response.

The food came, breaking them out of their reverie. Tadashi excused himself to go find Wasabi while Fred soon returned with some beers. While Tadashi and Wasabi weren't really drinkers, Tadashi took his graciously and Gogo had been more than willing to finish off the spare. It was easy enough to forget what happened with food, drink, and enough fudge covered fudge to give a rhino diabetes.

oo00oo

"So you're not going with us to the midnight showing of Plan 9? You never miss movie night." Tadashi stood by her as she detached her bike from the back of Wasabi's car, placing it on the ground and inspecting it before slinging her leg over.

She shook her head. "Sorry, Tad. Told you I was only out for a bit. Promised Doug to go with him to that techno juice joint thing."

"Doug Ramsey?" Tadashi looked a little surprised. He ran his fingers through his hair, adjusting his baseball cap.

"Yeah. Don't you have a programming class with him?"

"He's kind of a nerd's nerd. Surprised you'd go out with him."

"You're one to talk," she said with a grin. "Whatever. He's not ugly and he's paying." A pause. She looked up, peering at his face coolly. "Why? Got a better offer than Plan 9?"

"Ah. No, not really, just… try not to break him. We all actually kinda like him. Besides, he's helping me run diagnostics on A-max's scanning algorithm protocols." He tried to make the joke, but his heart wasn't in it.

"Mn," was the response as she turned away from him. "Okay, well. See you after break I guess."

"Gogo, wait."

The wheel stopped mid turn as she stopped, sneakers grinding into concrete as she turned her head. Sharp eyes peered at him under the street lamps.

"…you forgot your helmet," he said lamely. She gave him a curt nod, taking a deep breath as she slipped it on her head. Her signature salute and she was gone, pedaling off into the night. Tadashi turned to the car, sliding into the back seat. Fred was already out, but Wasabi adjusted the rear view mirror to look at his friend stewing in the back.

"Didn't know you could even choke like that," Wasabi said as he turned the key. "Feel like talking about it?"

Tadashi opened his mouth.

"If it's the 'we're just friends' thing, I don't wanna hear it. I've seen you do the 'just friends thing' and mean it, and I'm not seeing a guy that wants to be 'just friends' out there," Wasabi said sternly.

Tadashi's mouth closed with a click. "I have my reasons."

"Mmhm. Well, when you figure out what those are, you tell me about them. "

oo00oo

He was finally dropped off in front of his home. The movie had been skipped. Between Tadashi's quiet mood and Fred's lack of consciousness, they had decided to call it a night. "Drive safe," Tadashi called to Wasabi as he left the car.

"Yeah – Fred said his crash pad with his buddies is near here, so I'm taking him there since… well, I don't actually know where he lives. You gonna be okay, man?" Wasabi was a good friend, always paying attention and one of the few guys that could see when something was really, truly bothering him. Tadashi plastered a half-smile to his face.

"I'll be fine. Just gotta clear my head. I knew I shouldn't have had that last drink."

"You had a beer and a half. I know you can take down more than that," Wasabi said skeptically. "Anyway, we're burning night here. See you after the break."

"Yeah," Tadashi replied, and the car rolled off into the night, leaving Tadashi with little more than the street lamps, cold, and his thoughts.

He began to walk. Thoughts shook loose.

He wanted more than anything to be with her. Something about her circumnavigated everything he ever put in place to keep the world at arm's distance after his parents had passed. Gogo's armor was just as thick as his, but she seemed to just slip past all the defenses he put up. It always started innocently – joking or playing around, then there'd be the moment. She'd let a real smile slip, or he'd say something that suggested how he truly felt about her and there'd be a record-scratch stop and an uncomfortable moment when this heart would seize.

But that was part of the problem. She seemed to know how to trigger those events on occasion. If he got too close, he could get seriously hurt again. Gogo lived her life in the fast lane – it would be inevitable that she'd leave him on the wayside no matter how he really felt. Tadashi couldn't take any more sudden departures.

Still, in those too infrequent moments when the connection was made, Tadashi almost felt it would be worth it. When he was alone, he found himself thinking about those quiet moments they sometimes shared. Shoes took him down the street, heading nowhere in particular as the city's cold glow forced the confession from unwilling lips.

o/~ o/~ o/~

**Painful Reminders**

(Sung to the tune of "Always Something There to Remind Me" by Naked Eyes)

**Tadashi:**

When we're alone together it's much better than when we're apart

With you next to me you're my friend and not the pain

that's in my heart.

Well how can we remain best friends

When there's always something there to remind me?

Always something there to remind me.

The music plays, just like your life - a hard, fast, pounding, driving style

And it's not fair to ask you

To slow down and stay with me a while

But how can we remain best friends

When there's always something there to remind me?

Always something there to remind me.

I'm the one to blame here

For the way you see me

Gave up things that shouldn't be.

Oh woah, woah, woah

The city lights, the sight of motorcycles fill the midnight air

Make me regret the choices that I've had to make

But I'll be there.

Because you know, I'm you best friend…

Though there's always something there to remind me.

Always something there to remind me.

I'm the one to blame here

Just happy that you're okay,

Keep tabs on things I shouldn't say.

But there is always something there to remind me.

Always something there to remind me…

o/~ o/~ o/~

Gogo left the club early, excusing herself with claims of a headache and an unsettled stomach due to the poor interaction between beer and a double layer chocolate fudge cake. Something about the discordant screech of the music had robbed the night of whatever magic had been in the air. The music was gone, stripped away by militant electronica and noise.

Her bike took off down the street, heading home, or maybe just heading someplace that felt less wrong and more right. It was unusual for her to let her mind wander while riding – the speed was her usual mode of problem solving. Tonight, though, there were only fragments of thoughts. She grabbed at one of them, a half remembered lyric from the radio playing during her childhood.

"And even as I wander

I'm keeping you in sight

You're a candle in the window

On a cold, dark winter's night

And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might…"

And then it was gone. The last of it used up as she skid to a halt by her stairs. Her bus ride home was tomorrow, and the thought of it alone made her tired. Gogo soon found herself in bed, unable to remember the rest of the song, or what it meant, or why it made her feel so empty.


	3. I Want You Bad

Note: Tomadashi Week Prompt 3 - Opposites

Writer's block and busy life equals extremely late.

oooo

If you could only read my mind

You would know that I've been waiting, so long

Someone almost just like you

But with attitude I'm waiting, so come on

oooo

Robert Callaghan knew a good idea when he saw one. That was one of the reasons that he was given full reign as the head of the Advanced Applied Sciences and Technology program. Even when it was outside his normal field of expertise, his ability to find a good student that would ultimately become a hard worker and innovator was renowned to the point that other program heads often deferred to when his recommendations were submitted to the panel. He took the compliments in stride, and rarely if ever let it get to his head. His dedication was to improving the future, not padding his already impressive reputation.

It was one of the reasons he was able to walk the SFIT Showcase without a lot of interference. The hall was busy that year, but most people left him alone. Despite his position, most people didn't bother to curry favor or impress him anymore because there was simply only one way to do that: Present him with hard work and intelligence. There was definitely enough of that, though. Some of the projects rivalled last year's, and most of the presentations and booths were top notch.

Initially, his detractors denounced the SFIT Showcase as a gaudy circus. On its face, it sort of was – a giant warehouse half-filled with youngsters hocking their brilliant ideas in exchange for a free ride into one of the most prestigious schools in the country. The other half contained current and former students hocking their latest brainchildren to industrialists and investors like Alexander Krei, Rumiko Fujikawa and Arno Stark. While Callaghan abhorred the bottom feeders, they were a necessary evil. They pulled away those with more flexible morals and intentions, leaving those students and bright thinkers that cared only about the betterment of mankind.

Against all odds, though, were the stragglers. People that had managed to sneak in, submit half-baked or weird projects that would never have otherwise seen the light of day. These odd dark horses were rarely visited by Callaghan, usually relegated to the dark corners of the exhibit hall. And yet, that's where he found himself that auspicious evening, at a folding card table tucked in one of the back corners of the hall.

Sitting behind the table on milk crates was a pair of kids, roughly in their early twenties. He was tall, lanky with a shock of dyed blonde hair, dressed in a white and blue motorcycle jumpsuit. A white and yellow helmet sat on a crate nearby. He leaned forward on his knees, giving the world a disinterested, bored stare. The other was a cheerful looking girl with striking blue eyes, short black hair, lavender hoodie, and black jean shorts that rocked back and forth as she happily played on a handheld gaming device. Large headphones covered her ears.

There was something ostentatious despite the minimal nature of their display, which was a simple cardboard sign that pointed to a large metal headband sitting on a table that read 'BRAIN SCANNER by BRIAN STROM' in hastily scribbled sharpie. The alleged scanner also had a set of standard smart glasses attached. Notwithstanding the wires and the odd thickness, it looked for all intents and purposes like two kids had tied glasses and a strip of aluminum. In a hall filled with lights, holograms, multimedia, exhibits and full-scale manuals for beta-tested products, Callaghan was almost at a loss for words for what he was seeing in front of him.

"So, Mr. Strom, is it? What precisely is this supposed to be?"

A finger pointed at the sign. "Brain scanner," he said, amused, "the next big thing in human communications. I figured it would have been pretty obvious, but if you need an explanation…"

Callaghan nearly left right there but was ultimately stopped by the cheerful, rather tall girl that had managed to superimpose herself between him and the direction he was headed. He looked down, and realized that her additional height and speed had a lot to do with the rollerblades on her feet. "Hiya! Martika," she chirped, grabbing his hand and shaking it, "Sorry Brian's being such a pain in the butt, but he's not always the best at explaining things. In fact, he tends to overcomplicate things and has a completely condescending attitude, so he lost a bet and now I do all the talking."

Brain rolled his eyes as if to confirm the statement, and huffed.

Fingerless skater gloves snatched the device off of the table as Martika pushed the headphones off of her head so that they settled on her neck. The tinny sound of the latest pop abomination trickled out as she placed the 'brain scanner' on her head. "Brian's a genius – a total technological savant that's managed to merge human biology, biochemistry, psychology, oculesics, haptics, proxemics, and general kinesics, coupled with tone analysis, translation and a whole buncha other stuffs into an honest to goodness mind reading device!"

She smiled a big beaming grin at Callaghan, who looked about as impressed as one might expect a learned man of letters to respond to the outrageous claim that someone sitting on a milk crate had created a mind reading device. As if to accentuate this position, he folded his arms across his chest and looked irritated. As accepting of eccentricity as he was, this situation was a bit much. Still, stranger things had happened.

"Okay, yeah, I get it. You think I'm beyond eccentric and that it's a bit much, but hear me out here. This scanner will revolutionize how we interact on a profound scale. Once the barriers to interpersonal communication are removed, the sky's the limit!"

"What she said," drawled Brian, sitting back and looking supremely satisfied with his choice of assistants. "Trust me – everyone from the average joe on the street to high powered execs are gonna want one of these."

It was easy to dismiss the claims as total rubbish. Still, there was a sort of infectious enthusiasm from the grinning young lady in front of him. "I see, well. Do you mind if I try it for a bit, then?"

Martika glanced at her partner, who nodded. "Sure. Let me set it for a narrow band. It'll focus in on the two nearest targets in a 20 degree scan arc. I find a minimum of two helps you get a feel for what this thing is all about – observing social interaction between two people, completely stripped of pretext." She beamed. "Fascinating, isn't it! A world without limits! It makes my heart go pitter-pat!"

The young woman pressed a few buttons absently on the side of the smart glasses as she handed the sketchy looking contraption to the older gentleman. "There you go. Let me know if you have any problems figuring out how it works."

Brian rolled his eyes, emptying a bag of pop rocks into his mouth. Callaghan could hear the snapping sound of the candy even over the noise of the hall. Arrogant, condescending, unenthusiastic… Callaghan had no idea why he was even entertaining this, but stranger things had come out of the Showcase. After all, wasn't the whole point to give that long shot a chance to do something they wouldn't otherwise be able to do?

He slipped the device over his head, adjusting the smart glasses frames for comfort as he looked at the two. "And how, pray tell, do you resolve the moral and ethical implications of this device?"

"That's easy," Brian said, leaning back to give Professor Callaghan a lazy smirk. "I don't. There's no morality in science, only the user."

"An interesting position," Callaghan replied evenly. Technically true, but it was a subject he went around and around with on a daily basis. Martika's bright blue eyes were excited and expectant. Brian's were less so, an overconfident smirk on his features. "You mind if I just sort of walk the hall with these? Or do they require controlled conditions?"

"No! Please, walk Professor Callaghan," Brian said, waving his arm to the milling masses. "Just be advised that the scanner takes a minute or two to calibrate. That means you have to hold still and let the targeting matrix do its thing."

A bemused smile crossed the older man's face. "Of course it does."

And with that, he took a walk.

oo00oo

True to Brian's words, the device appeared to only track potential targets while moving, requiring an extended stillness to acquire them fully. The interface was utterly atrocious, clearly constructed to specifications of someone that had either trained to use the device or was intimately familiar with its operations. Data flew across one side of the heads-up display, while targeting reticules flashed everywhere. It was a Technicolor nightmare of data that flew in front of him.

He could pick out some information as he walked and became more familiar with what was put in front of him. Colors appeared to be associated with emotional states based on his observation of potential target's faces. Number seemed assigned to probabilities, either suggesting that there was a margin of error in the readout, or that there were potential targets that were more favorable than others.

As with any good scientist, however, Callaghan needed a control; someone that he knew well enough to determine the accuracy of the readouts. That meant the potential best targets would be fellow faculty and students.

That's not the first test subject he got, however.

Hovering into his view was Alexander Krei, who was standing by a display relating to crystalline energy production, which Callaghan identified as a perennial favorite for the crackpot crowd. This year it seemed a little more promising, but with Doctor Brown at the helm, it was unlikely he'd be garnering any funding from Krei. In Alexander's wake was his attractive short haired assistant. Her name escaped Callaghan, as it had each time they had met. Honestly, she seemed reserved, intelligent, polite and methodical, which made Callaghan wonder why the woman worked with the reckless entrepreneur. Callaghan refused to call him a scientist.

The contraption on his face immediately set to work, focusing as Callaghan slowed. Targeting boxes set on the industrialist and his assistant.

"This should be interesting," Callaghan muttered under his breath as he approached.

"Robert! So good to see you again. How are you doing? What's with the contraption?" Krei held out a hand. The professor heard the words, saw the practiced smile on Krei's face, and was provided with a short subtitle. [_Hello, you old goat. How are you going to darken my day today? Are you wearing yet another genius thing from your students that you're going to rub in my face?_]

The corner of the professor's lips twitched as he shook Krei's hand. Even if this invention was a half-baked phony, it was definitely an amusing one. "Just fine, Alexander. It's a showcase project I'm helping test. Finding everything to your liking this year?"

"Oh, of course," Krei responded, his easy smile almost infuriating. "Definitely a lot of prospects this year. You certainly have a problem a lot of people wish they did. What does your little toy there do?" [_You miserable bastard. Did you get to all of them before I got here? Is that why nobody is talking to me except the whack jobs? Go ahead and rub it in. What amazing thing does that thing do? Cure cancer?]_

Callaghan returned the smile. "Nothing that's of any importance," responded the professor. "And how about you? Finding any success out there for potential Kreitech recruits?" The question was directed at the assistant, who looked at the professor with mild confusion. The professor never directed questions to her in all the time she had known him.

"Ah, well. Mr. Krei definitely has exacting standards, so regardless of quality we have specific needs, sir." [_We need to get rid of this indiscriminate, posturing blowhard and get someone that can actually innovate instead of scalping your leftovers, sir._]

Robert Callaghan was not a man known for his overt sense of humor. A dry wit, he rarely laughed preferring instead to give knowing smiles if anything. However, he was forced to mute a chuckle at the 'Brain Scanner' readouts. "I see. Well, you certainly have no shortage of people looking for your patronage," he said with a smile. "I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for. I'd love to stay and chat, but I have some students to meet."

"Of course. Don't let me keep you." [_You self-righteous, sanctimonious dinosaur._]

"Have a pleasant day, sir," Krei's assistant added. [_I know I won't._]

Callaghan kept walking, a smile on his face. Still, there was a doubt in the back of his mind about how fundamentally fair it was to know what your competition was thinking.

oo00oo

It wasn't unusual to see Wasabi and Fred together, insofar as Wasabi was the only one that really seemed to engage Fred in direct conversation just based off the sheer annoyance the other could cause. It was an interesting dynamic to say the least. Callaghan would normally have tossed a person like Fred out on his ear for being a non-student, but the lad had become somewhat of a mascot in his own right rather than just the school's. The fact was that many of the kids he taught were type A, socially odd characters who were wound just a bit too tightly. Having a goofball on the premises to lighten the mood… well, there was something to be said about class clowns.

Wasabi on the other hand was very much wound too tight. He had a lot of potential, but Callaghan would be damned if he didn't feel like hooking the kid up to an IV drip of beer just to take the edge off. It wasn't a crime to be meticulous, but at a certain point it was an impediment to progress. The professor wondered how many fantastic ideas were left unpursued, instead existing only as wadded up balls of paper at the bottom of a garbage can because of minor issues that Wasabi could have worked out in time.

It would therefore be somewhat interesting to see what these two had to think about. They were hanging out near the stage where a presentation was being held. Both of them were captivated by a tall, if not somewhat thin young lady was demonstrating the practical application of a ultra-light quick-seal gel compound that was waterproof, heat resistant, but dissolved when exposed to very weak acids like vinegar. The explosion of globs of stuff that quickly solidified on contact with air covered the stage as she espoused the benefits of her experiment.

"That girl's project is pretty amazing, Professor," Wasabi said as Callaghan stepped up behind them. [_The idea of precision mess both terrifies and intrigues me._]

Callaghan nodded. "It most certainly is, gentleman. It remains to be seen how well it holds up to the rest of the competitors, though."

What they didn't know was that he generally reviewed all of the projects and approved most SFIT candidates sight unseen after having graduate students replicate the most intriguing prospects' experiments whenever possible. It was rare for him to provide an invitation based on the presentation alone. This one had been approved ages ago – he was primarily there to hand her the invite in person, which was one of his greatest joys as an educator.

"She seems like a shoo in compared to the last couple of guys. The amphibious life raft and the caffeine infuser were interesting, but pretty impractical," Wasabi said, turning fully to his teacher," Um, what's with the headgear, sir?" [_Terrible projects. Too niche, with little universal application. Also, she seems a lot nicer. Also, what's with the headgear, sir?_]

Callaghan absorbed the information. He rather agreed. Wasabi for all his faults had a very analytical mind covered with a heavy layer of tact. An interesting trait for a physicist to have. "Just testing something out for my own personal edification," was the response regarding the headgear. "And how about you, Mr. Lee? Any thoughts?"

"Yeah! You think she could turn that stuff into some kind of glue gun, like the Trapster, or Mucilage Man?" Fred's face spread into a wide, excited grin.

Callaghan blinked, awaiting the subtitle. Nothing came. "I have no idea what any of those are," came the honest response.

"You know. Guys that use their sticky powers for superpowered shenanigans? I mean, super-glue! Honest-to-goodness super-glue! That's gotta be… something!" [_SYNTAX ERROR_][…_I like glue_…(?)]

"…I see."

Fred nodded, self-assured as he placed his hands on his hips. "We can only hope that we've found someone that'll use her amazing science powers for good, y'know?" [_How helpful is it to say that science is neutral in itself, and what makes it good or evil are political decisions? Yet not all scientific knowledge is morally neutral. Some, I think, is unequivocally morally good. Some things, however, are so evil in themselves that it's hard to imagine them serving any good end, such as bioweapons. This isn't bad science. It's wicked, or evil science. There isn't even any respectable military justification, since such a weapon must, by its nature, be mainly useful against a civilian population._]

As an educated man of letters, a combat veteran, and as a wit in general, Callaghan usually was not at a loss for words. This was one of those times. "I'm sure you're correct, Mr. Lee," came the diplomatic, confused response. Clearly the device had its limits.

Callaghan glanced at the young lady who was finishing up her presentation. He smiled, locating the girl's parents who were standing proudly on the sidelines, clapping. "Gentlemen," he said with a nod, "please excuse me."

"Of course, professor. Hope you find what you're looking for!" [_She's totally going to win._]

"Okay, so, dude. Does Professor Callaghan give off a whole Magneto vibe to you, or is it just me?" [_Powerful he has become, the dark side I sense in him._]

His brow furrowed with confusion, but Callaghan kept walking. It was time to have a serious conversation with Mr. Strom.

oo00oo

"Professor," the voice called, pulling Callaghan from his thoughts as he headed back towards Brian's table at the back of the showcase. That was quite enough mental voyeurism for one day. After having peered into the mind of both familiar and unfamiliar individuals, Callaghan had made the determination that it was probably for the best that people didn't know each other's inner thoughts. The real question was really what to do about Brian and his intent for the invention.

The professor turned to see Tadashi approaching. Thank goodness for small favors. The young man was probably the sanest of the bunch. Any more conflicting or bizarre internal thoughts and Callaghan was going to have a headache. "Yes, Mr. Hamada. Can I help you?"

"Sir, have you seen Gogo anywhere?" The machine on his head locked on, identifying Tadashi as a target and entering that lull between preliminary scan and processing. He had forgotten to turn the blasted thing off. "That's an interesting thing you're wearing."

"Er, yes," Callaghan responded for what seemed to be the tenth time in an hour, "I'm evaluating it as part of the Showcase." It was a half-truth. Tadashi deserved that much. "And isn't that her over there?" Callaghan motioned with his head as he reached to take the device off. Gogo was standing near Brian's corner, engaged in conversation with the blonde boy. Judging from hand motions alone, they were discussing cycling. Gogo was leaning against the wall, a lopsided smirk on her face as Brian seemed to be passionately explaining something.

Callaghan's eyes turned to Tadashi as his fingers touched the now warm rim of the scanner. The boy wasn't saying anything, but the readout came in just as he was about to lift the headgear off. [_…there she goes again with some other guy. Lucky bastard._]

Callaghan raised an eyebrow as his hands ground to a halt. Tadashi was a rock. The sophomore was one of the most well-adjusted individuals he had ever had the pleasure of instructing. Bright, innovative, and stubborn in all the right ways, Tadashi had the air of an up and coming leader in the engineering community. The fact that the young man was emotionally whole and stable was something Callaghan took for granted. It was a little disorienting to see words that smacked completely of jealousy pop up in the eyepiece.

At least, that was, if the machine did what it purported to do.

"Is there an issue, Mr. Hamada?" His hands dropped down to his side. Curiosity won out over ethical considerations. While romance in the SFIT lab wasn't unknown, it was a little surprising to him that Tadashi would turn his attentions to the taciturn, somewhat angry design engineer, even if she was quite attractive.

"No. I just saw something that I thought might help her with that magnetic coupling issue she's been working on is all," Tadashi explained, the wistful look on his face disappearing almost instantly. [_Sure, Tadashi. That's the only 'coupling' issue you wanted to work on. You're pathetic._]

"She _has_ been working on that problem for quite a while," Callaghan mused, patting the boy on the shoulder, "Always looking out for others, Mr. Hamada. That's quite the admirable trait. I'm sure she'll want to hear about it when she's done talking."

Callaghan glanced casually over to the corner again. Brian and Gogo were still busy talking, phones out. Although a little disconnected with telecommunications and student behavior, he easily recognized the almost ritualistic trading of phone numbers. The man winced inwardly as he caught Tadashi looking away and down.

[_I just couldn't resist, could I? I set boundaries. I was careful. I convinced myself that the one thing she didn't need was yet another guy knocking on her door looking for a date; that the best thing was to be her friend because that's what __she__ needed. Now look at me - regretting it every minute of the day. Good job, me._ _I don't even know why I do this to myself. It's pretty clear I'm not her type anyway._]

The scanner display was superfluous as Tadashi only half succeeded in muting the visible dismay on his face and the slump in his shoulders. The boy had it bad. He had seen it before, the longing looks his soldiers had given the photographs of their significant others on the plane immediately after deployment. Callaghan wasn't too old to have forgotten that feeling. "Then again, perhaps it's something worth sharing now? If it's important enough, I'm sure she won't mind the interruption."

"No, no, it's fine," Tadashi replied, managing his normal façade. "Looks like she's scheduling her Friday. Don't want to interrupt that." [_I wish I could. What would I even say? 'Excuse me, I've fallen for her, so step off?' Gogo would kill me if I didn't die of embarrassment first._]

Part of Callaghan wanted to shove the kid over there but sympathy won out. Almost everyone had been there before – it was hard to see one of his favorite students mooning about over a girl, especially one as hard and cold as Gogo. Still, emotions were a delicate thing – there was no rushing or interfering with affairs of the heart. None that Callaghan had ever seen work out cleanly, anyway. "Yes, I could see how getting between a tiger and its meal would generally a bad idea," came the dry statement. "Anyhow, did you catch the last presentation?"

The boy's face brightened a little. "The chemistry demo? Yeah, that was pretty amazing. Did you make her an offer?" [_She deserves an offer for the hard work she put into her presentation._]

"Indeed I did, Mr. Hamada. Your graduating class has a keen sense of observation."

"What about mine? We the slow kids or something?" The pop of gum announced Gogo's arrival. The scanner immediately locked on. The feed started to process.

"Hardly. I just haven't had a chance to fully evaluate your class yet," the professor responded. She gave him a quizzical look, pointing at her own head to indicate the professor's. "Ah yes. This. Just a project. I'm just about done with it."

"Hm. Okay," Gogo responded skeptically. "Hey Tadashi. Wasabi said you were looking for me." The gum popped. [_Let me guess – you're looking out for me like you always do. You got to know I've never been 'friends' with a guy before, and I hate being friends with you the most of all._]

"Oh, right. There's a magnetic bottle stabilization display on the far end of the hall that I thought you'd be interested in," Tadashi said, a smile crossing his face. "Did you see it? I think it might help you with the cohesion issue, since the magnetic coupling has been slipping on your last few mock ups." [_I just want to help. I just want to spend some time with you, even if it never goes anywhere._]

She nodded, peering at the boy from the corner of her eyes as she brushed a strand of hair from her face. He jaw worked faster as she chewed her gum. "Yeah. Talked to that guy. He's using a bulkier conduction method that'll slow down the bike. Might look at it again later though. Thanks anyway." [_Always trying to help fix things. Am I so broken you only see me as a project? Is that why you never make a move? Screw you, Hamada. Screw you for being right._]

"Okay, well, that was it really," Tadashi cleared his throat as he averted his gaze back to the corner where Gogo had come from. The other biker was busy having a conversation with Martika who had just skated in, Alexander Krei in tow. "So what was up with that guy? He looks sketchy." [_I don't even know what I'm thinking… ugh, she's doing the hair thing. She's so cute._]

Callaghan stifled a grimace. This was getting painful. The older man wanted to take off the device, but morbid curiosity stayed his hand. Maybe he'd just make himself scarce.

"Huh? Oh, Brian? He does bike mods in his spare time. He rides a tricked out THX 1138 Darksider – no way it beats my mods. Probably gonna race him and make the loser, meaning him, buy me dinner," a predatory grin crossed her face at the thought as she glanced at Tadashi. "Why? Worried about me?" [_Of course he's worried about me… as a friend. I'm only going out with these guys because you're not even vaguely interested in me, you know._]

"You're a big girl. You can take care of yourself. I wouldn't be a friend if I didn't say something, though." [_Yeah. Keep saying 'friend'. Maybe if you say it enough times you'll believe that's what you want from her._]

Her neutral face betrayed nothing as she popped her gum. "Whatever, Hamada. I don't need you to do me any favors." [_Now he's gonna look at me with those stupid eyes of his, and give me that stupid smile, and my stomach's gonna flip over and I'm gonna hate myself for being a giant bitch at him. I hate this so much._]

She turned away immediately as his trademark crooked grin crossed his face. [_And there it is. God that smile. You're killing me, Hamada._ _How is it I can ride at 120 miles an hour and still find it so hard to say 'I like you'?_]

[_Just tell her how you feel. Tell her that you'd do anything just to take her out one night. Tell her how beautiful her eyes are. Do something. Anything but stand there and waffle like an idiot or let her go off with that guy with the dumb hair.]_ "Right then. Sorry I brought it up. Don't let me stop you."

[_Ugh, I'm so stupid. All I do is treat him like dirt and I stand around wondering why he doesn't want me? He's not some lame "bad boy". He's sweet and nice and that smile of his makes me die inside a little every day. Stop bellyaching and just tell him_.] "Mn," she grunted. "Seeya around then, Hamada."

[_I'm such an idiot_.] The readout came from both sides. The professor rubbed his temples. "Right, well, this thing is starting to make my head hurt. I'll have to take my leave of you both."

The device came off, and Professor Callaghan found himself walking yet again.

oo00oo

"Robert. So good to see you again," Krei said as Callaghan reappeared at Brian's table, the brain scanner in hand. "You neglected to tell me that the device you were testing was the invention of this charming couple." His assistant adjusted her glasses and looked away, clutching her tablet computer to her chest. She did not want to be there, and Callaghan didn't need a scanner to see that.

"We're not a couple," Brian said flatly. The broad smile on Martika's face flickered for a split second.

Callaghan eyed Krei as he placed the headgear back onto the plastic card table. "Yes, and you're welcome to it. I for one found this tech to be inherently dangerous and borderline unethical."

"And yet you wore it through our entire conversation. How hypocritical of you," Krei responded, placing his hand on the device as he gave Callaghan a hard stare. "May I?"

Brian shrugged. "Sure. Do whatever." Martika nudged him in the ribs, eliciting a grunt. "Uh, I mean, let me know if you need any assistance."

The industrialist nodded as Martika skated over, whirling around the man to help him adjust and calibrate the device. "Okay!" She chirped, "let me explain a little how it works and how to interpret the data."

Callaghan's stern look turned to Brian as he folded his arms across his chest. "Mr. Strom. You realize the implications of this device are far reaching. There's an inherent danger to providing this sort of ability to just anyone."

"There are failsafes," Brian replied almost indignantly. "I wouldn't let an invention like this just get released unchecked. Besides, there are certain operation specifications."

"What gives?" Krei questioned as everyone turned to look at him. "I'm not getting any of the readings you promised."

"For example," Brian continued, "The device actually utilizes the mental processing power of the user itself. Each user of the thing is subjected to a diagnostic scan – it won't work for anyone with an IQ of under 121 because their feeble minds are incapable of processing and collating the data."

A slow smile split Callaghan's features. "So you basically have to test at genius in order to use it."

"Yup."

"What!?" Krei's face was flushed with anger as he removed the device from his head. Martika snatched it away before he could throw it out. "Are you saying I test under genius!?"

"Well, there are other factors in play. Evidence of drug or alcohol abuse, for example, will force the device to fault-quit," Brian said, a smarmy smirk on his face. "Also, low neurotransmitter levels halt the device's function, too. Like I said – failsafes. Can't have angry, mean, or depressed individuals walking around with the ability to read minds. So no, I'm not saying you're not a genius. I'm saying that there's also an equal part probability that you're a drunk, junkie or a depressed, angry jerk."

"Mr. Strom, I rarely say this, but you are an arrogant bastard of epic proportions," Callaghan said, barely containing a laugh. "But perhaps the most ethical one I've ever met."

"Nah. Just practical," Brian responded. "I'm an inventor. I want to build stuff to sell, not bring down civilization."

"Touche'." Callaghan watched Krei stomp off, humiliated and angry. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to show up to the Showcase next year with a less… controversial project?"

"We'll see what we can do," Martika said with a grin.

oo00oo

Tadashi stepped down the showcase stairs, hands in his pockets. Today was unsuccessful in every meaning of the word. Gogo had disappeared soon after their encounter. The throaty roar of her motorcycle was unmistakable, however, and it was closely followed up an unfamiliar engine which he assumed to be Brian's. The stabbing feeling in his chest wasn't going away. He needed to get out and get a breath of fresh air.

At the bottom of the stairs he found a girl in a hoodie and jean shorts, legs crossed at the ankles as she listened to the music coming out of headphones that weren't over her ears.

"Expel 10? Feeling a little dark?"

Martika grinned, looking up at Tadashi. "Maybe," she said, taking a sharp breath. "Maybe I'm just feeling depressed. Ever have one of those days where you wanted to say something to someone, but ended up just saying the opposite thing?"

"All the time." Tadashi shook his head. This day had been an abject failure in communications.

"Want some advice?"

"Sure," Tadashi said, sitting down on the steps as well. "The way things are going these days, unsolicited advice from a stranger couldn't possibly hurt."

She laughed. It was a pretty laugh with an undertone of resentment. "Never fall in love with a biker."

Tadashi paused, looking at the girl who was busy staring up into the dark, cloudy skies of San Fransokyo with a bittersweet smile on her face. He let out a heavy sigh.

"Good advice."


	4. All I Need Is A Miracle

Prompt - Elements

So this took entirely too long. Also – finally Honey Lemon.

oooo

I thought I was being cool

Yeah, I thought I was being strong

But it's always the same old story

You never know what you've got 'til it's gone

oo00oo

Friday Afternoon

It was by far the saddest thing she had ever seen. The fenders were mismatched colors and were showing signs of rust. The bumper was a cracking, fading, peeling disaster best left undescribed. It had dented doors, shattered windows, shattered plastic panels, a missing rear wheel, and she was pretty sure there were bullet holes riddling its frame. The only thing that allowed her to identify what it was supposed to have been an eon or so ago was the off-kilter 'H' on the back, and the outline of the missing letters where the glue had worn off, leaving the word 'LEMEN' in tarnished silver on the back.

There was no doubt about it in Gogo's mind: this was one thoroughly dead Honda Element. Nevertheless, Tadashi couldn't have been more proud. She heard him excitedly explaining to the group behind her about how the thing had been really cheap, and that if they all pitched in and helped out, they could all own the car together.

She glanced over her shoulder at the various expressions, ignoring most of the words for the time being as she lifted the hood. Wasabi seemed interested, if not concerned. She saw the big man's lips form the word 'tetanus'. Fred seemed ready to go with the flow, sitting on the Hamada's meager driveway, eating an apple and already opining on which seats would make good ejector seats. The new girl, who everyone had taken to calling 'Honey Lemon' based on the communal tea she brought in every day appeared supportive.

Gogo could see the concern on Honey's face whenever she shot a glance over to the car. Gogo popped a gum bubble to hide a smirk. Over protests, she had finally gotten around to hanging out with Honey and the two had become strangely fast friends. Between Honey's eternal optimism and Gogo's soul-destroying negativity, they usually evened out to normal at the end of the day.

Sharp eyes darted, giving a quick assessment of the engine. It was a war zone in there. The Element was a model that had been dead for more than twenty years, and the car in front of her had gotten at least a five year head start. It was dusty, and Gogo mused that the only thing that was keeping the last shreds of hoses and wires together was the healthy number of old cobwebs inside.

"Where'd you get this thing again, Tadashi?" Wasabi, ever the voice of solid reason, was unconvinced of the value of his friend's find.

"At Lockdown's Auto &amp; Bot Salvage," Tadashi explained, "I was going to bail Hiro out of another mess when I ran across it on the back lot. It's not in pristine shape, but it was in a shanty and more or less protected from the elements..."

"Ha! Good one!" Fred grinned, taking another bite from his snack.

"…heh, right. Anyway, I figured that if I paid a bit of a premium on it, he'd forgive Hiro for all the junk he'd been lifting. I thought rebuilding it would make a fun Summer project for us."

"Er, well, maybe we should let Gogo weigh in on how salvageable it is, seeing as she's the one with the most mechanic's skills?" Honey supplied quietly. She was still new and finding her place in the group. She beamed as she got an approving smile from Wasabi.

"I like this one. She's smart. What say you, Gogo?"

The hood slammed shut. "Well, your shanty kept some stuff intact, but only just," Gogo said, wiping her dusty, grimy hands on her old jeans. "Anything not made of metal in here is cracked or decaying into a fine powder. Pretty sure one of Fred's root beer burps will finish it off. This car was a total POS when it rolled off the assembly line. Time and its own intrinsic terribleness didn't do it any favors. The only thing it had going for it was all-wheel-drive."

She turned around, shifting her weight to one leg as she folded hear arms to see Tadashi's frown. "Seriously. This thing is beyond dead. It doesn't need to be fixed. It needs to be staked through the heart and buried in a pit to keep it from ever returning."

The frown turned into a pout.

"No. Not this time, Tadashi. I will not be suckered into another bout of the Stupid Hamada Brothers Stupid Show, especially not on a Friday night. This," she pointed at the heap behind her, "This is a lost cause. Steven Spielberg and Michael Crichton couldn't resurrect this thing. Not only will I not help you, I will defy anyone else here to help you."

The pout deepened. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't. The boy's face was a beautiful train wreck; she couldn't help but stare. Expressive, deep brown eyes annihilated Gogo's resolve like someone sandblasting a saltine and she hated herself all over again for the annoying emotions that boiled up, threatening to crack the ice she always wore.

"Ugh. Fine," Gogo said, tossing her hands up.

Tadashi's pouting face instantly disappeared, replaced by a smile. Wasabi's on the other hand was clearly that of concern. Gogo nodded, immediately taking mental note as she waved Fred over. The slacker boy walked over, a hint of nervousness on his face.

"You. Hose. Bucket. Get on it," Gogo's voice rang out like a bell as Fred immediately scrambled into the garage.

"And so it begins. Thanks bunches, Tadashi." Wasabi trudged forward to obtain his 'assignment' from the team tyrant.

Tadashi just smirked, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets.

oo00oo

Friday Evening

After a good scrubdown, a torrent of water, an incident with Hiro, and one thoroughly drenched Mochi the Cat later, the wreck of a car looked like… a substantially cleaner wreck of a car. Gogo's arched eyebrow conveyed her complete and utter lack of positivity towards the project at hand. She stepped forward and turned to the lineup of soggy college students in front of her. The setting sun cast a shadow over her face but lit the group clearly.

Wasabi had done most of the heavy lifting, and therefore looked the most worn out. After Honey had demanded that the soap and water be measured exactly to get the most cleaning power out of the solution, Tadashi and Fred had effectively power scrubbed the thing from top to bottom, Wasabi had gone through and meticulously picked away at whatever was left. She had expected as much, which allowed her to get a clear look at what they were looking at.

"Well, I got good news and bad news," she intoned flatly, tossing the detailing rag into an empty bucket.

"Good news first," Tadashi and Honey said in unison before sharing a grin. "Jinx!"

Unison again. Gogo's eye twitched ever so slightly. Peas in a pod, those two. She cleared her throat to get attention. "Anyway, the good news is that it's structurally sound, more or less. Doesn't look like there any damage to the chassis. We're good to the extent that its framework won't flake apart in a stiff breeze."

"…and the bad news?" Wasabi always sought the dark cloud in the silver lining. It was easier to keep things organized when you knew where the problems were, since the good parts were usually sorted out already.

She shrugged. "The bad news is that everything else about the thing is shot. All the hoses are toast, the wiring is a corroded mess, and the engine block's a solid hunk of metal. If we want this to even remotely function like a car, we're going to have to gut it and start from scratch, which will take months of work just to assemble parts."

Fred raised his hand, causing everyone's eyes to shift in his direction. "Question. If you had all the parts you needed, how long would it take for you to put it together?"

Gogo stared at Fred, then looked at Tadashi whose smile and shrug suggested that the Hamada boy knew a little bit more about this question than he let on. "Put your hand down, Freddie," she sighed, rubbing her temples. "Okay, so we have a chassis, so we don't have to re-invent the design phase. If we use what we have, we could knock off the design in a night or two. If we got all of the parts I'd say… maybe three days to a week, depending on the time we put in."

"Dunno how they did it in the old days," Wasabi said, commenting on Gogo's assessment. "It used to take months of planning before AutoMAT."

"Well, I mean, just as a matter of bashing something together," Gogo said offhandedly. "It'll perform, but it won't be a work of art."

"Okay," Fred responded, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Sounds reasonable, yeah?" Honey Lemon smiled, always the optimist. "But it's getting late. I should be going home. Looking forward to working on this with you guys!"

Tadashi nodded. "Okay, well, I'm going to spend this evening working on some of the preliminary design stuff. If you guys want, we'll meet up tomorrow and go over what I've found. I can go over the design process this week and we'll reconvene when the parts come in."

Gogo grunted. "Sure. By yourself? I'm the design expert here."

"Okay… Gogo and I will go over the design process this week." Tadashi gave her a grin, which got him a gum bubble in response.

"We can get the parts in that fast?" Wasabi scratched his head, turning to Fred with a furrowed brow.

"Totally. I know a guy," Fred's stress-free drawl and short statement was an unconscious cue for the questions to stop for everyone except Wasabi.

Though incredulous, Wasabi knew better than to probe deeper lest he get caught up in yet another one of Fred's flights of fancy if he wanted to get home that evening without a brain aneurysm. Instead, he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "Yeah. I'll stop by the café at lunch tomorrow if anyone else needs a ride?"

The nattering of voices making arrangements trailed off in the distance as Gogo turned back to the car and blew a big pink bubble. Maybe it would be for the best that she made the most of it. After all, it wasn't like she was going anywhere important in the near future.

oo00oo

Friday Night

The bulk of the group had cleared out quickly thereafter, with Honey and Fred piling into Wasabi's car. Gogo had arrived on her motorcycle, which meant she didn't have to leave with the group. Personal mobility was a thing for her. She watched Wasabi's compact economy car whir away with a shake of her head, its electric engine crying out under the weight of three whole people.

Tadashi was already tidying up in the garage. As usual, he did so quietly and without complaint as he cleared out the workspace they'd be using in the next few days. She smiled to herself. Tadashi's infectious enthusiasm had won the group over yet again. She severely doubted the motley crew of misfits he had assembled would have ever come together on their own, much less agreed to rebuild a thirty year old car of all things. They were a neat freak, a slacker, an adrenaline junkie and a pollyanna princess – not a group normally found together in nature.

The creak of her leaning on one of the workbenches announced her presence, as did the creak of her leather jacket as she crossed her arms. The hint of a smile played on her lips as Tadashi looked up to give her a questioning glance. "So what's the angle for your little team building exercise?"

"Pardon?"

"Your angle. Your real purpose. C'mon, Tadashi. You always have some motive behind whatever you do. You're like some diabolical, evil genius, but a good guy." Her gum popped, betraying her amusement.

"You've been hanging around with Fred too long. I'll take that as a compliment," Tadashi said, smirking as he swept out the garage. "I don't have a motive, Gogo. I just thought it'd be fun."

She snorted derisively. "Any amount of time with Fred is too long," she said, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, I don't believe you." She watched him put his broom up as the last of the debris was swept into the gutter. Gogo pushed off her perch as he sat in front of the workstation set inside the garage. Her footsteps followed his and she lit on the back of his chair with her forearms, leaning over his shoulder to watch his work.

They had known each other for almost a year now, and while the start had been a little awkward and weird, they had settled into roles they found acceptable. While they had fun in their peer group, she was often the most relaxed when they were alone together. Tadashi's non-intrusive nature usually let her think, her taciturn nature let him muse, and the two could often be found working in perfectly comfortable silence.

She saw him look at her from the corner of his eye. Gogo looked away as she popped a bubble. The biker straightened up, letting her mind wander as the calculations appeared on the display in front of her.

Every so often there was the occasional moment of uncertainty when they were alone. A caught glance or a shared look between them sometimes reminded her of how awkward things had been at the start. Gogo had harbored a bit of a thing for the boy once upon a time. She refused to blame herself for that – he was tall, fit, and handsome. It was mere physical attraction at first, but had grown into something of an infatuation when she found out how truly nice he was. That spark had cooled, however. Tadashi seemed ignorant of her attraction and treated her with the same indiscriminate friendliness he treated everyone else.

When the frustration of being ignored had finally subsided, she had found what a good friend he could be. Calm, patient and reliable, Tadashi always seemed to be there for all of them whenever he was needed. Gogo couldn't ask for more than that, given how unpleasant things had been for her growing up. Still, sometimes she felt like she was missing something in those quiet moments when it was just them and their eyes met.

"You know Wasabi's car's about to die. You can hear it and I can hear it. That's why we're doing this project," she announced, leaning forward to manipulate some figures with the holo-touch screen as she armed the second icon deftly with a flick of her thumb.

"Nope," was the response, quickly followed by a thoughtful sound. "Good point on the power output, though. An electric engine is probably more appropriate even with the heavier non-ceramic composite construction."

Silence again. Twenty fingers moved, typed and flowed without bumping or grazing. The two had perfected working on a single screen together months ago. The dance was a complicated one, borne from Gogo's natural grace and ability to anticipate movement and Tadashi's learned skill of reading people and body language. The two often meddled in one another's pet projects: Tadashi just because he wanted to help, Gogo because she was bossy.

"It's a bonding thing. You want us to get to know Honey Lemon better, before she starts her classes in the fall," Gogo predicted, swiping away an engine design to place a new prefabricated design in its place where it settled with soft simulated click. Tadashi swiped it away, shaking his head. She frowned.

"Torque's too high, battery output's too low. You put that in there and it'll keel over the second you shifted into a higher gear. And no, it's not a group bonding thing."

He could feel her grin more than see it. "Don't tell me you like the new girl. It's not some kind of weird excuse to hang out with her, is it?" Gogo's verbal jab caused a small pull at the base of her heart. She peeked at his face from the corner of her eye, scanning his reaction intently.

"No," Tadashi said, slightly exasperated with Gogo's persistence. "She's not really my type."

"Coulda fooled me. She's pretty, and you two seem pretty sympatico. What about this setup? It'd allow more room for the conduit manifold." A series of tubes appeared, overlaying on the frame, showing where all the wiring would be.

"What about heat buildup? It might cause a meltdown if you situate it too close to the heat exchanger," Tadashi mused, "But maybe this setup might work with just a few modifications."

"Huh. Okay, yeah. That looks good," Gogo leaned back, peering at the layout as she toggled on the overlay of the wireframe to determine its effect on any exterior aesthetic designs.

Silence fell over them again as they continued to work. The quiet was comfortable, but something was eating away at the back of her mind. Every so often there was the occasional moment of uncertainty when they were alone.

oo00oo

Saturday Morning

She checked the clock. It was 2:00AM and they were still working away quietly. She had ducked back into the house to brew up a few cups of coffee in the café section. The speedster could never bring herself to go inside the home proper. The carafe and the mugs were handled carefully as she balanced a bowl of cookies in the other arm. Toast was held between clenched teeth. Tadashi looked up from the display and smiled, helping her with the carafe. He placed it on the hotpad on an opposing workbench.

"If you ever get tired of the bike messenger thing, you can always get a job working with Aunt Cass as a waitress," Tadashi said, taking the toast from her mouth and put it on a waiting plate. "Three sugars, no cream, right?" He poured slowly into the mug Gogo handed him. She sat on the bench, watching him idly, chewing her now flavorless gum.

"Hot and sweet," Gogo responded with a lazy smile as she mashed her gum on the side of the mug handed to her. "Just like I like my men." She elicited a chuckle from him as he sat back down in front of the computer, rubbing his eyes. Gogo sipped carefully. Tadashi always knew how to brew what she liked. Her taste in coffee wasn't fancy or clever, but she did have a very specific taste and he nailed it every time.

"That's not really who you go out with, though," Tadashi pointed out before blowing up a driveshaft design across three screens to scrutinize some minor details. "I'm sure there's some clever coffee flavor that corresponds to the guys you date, but it's two in the morning and I'm looking at car parts."

A snort. "Just because I go out with them doesn't mean I _like_ them. Besides, it's not like there are better options available. The unspoken rule of the San Fransokyo dating scene appears to be that all the guys are 'cute, stupid, unavailable', pick two." She sipped her coffee again before tackling her toast.

"'Meathead' isn't a coffee flavor, is it? I should know this." Gogo flicked the back of his ear. "Ouch!"

"Anyway, it's not like you're one to talk," Gogo said, wiping crumbs from her cheeks.

"What are you talking about? Also, you missed a spot." Tadashi reached and brushed her face with his thumb, wiping off the residual toast. She jerked back, feeling a hot sensation creeping up the back of her neck. "Oh, crap. Sorry about that. Reflex. Hiro's a messy eater. I've been wiping off of his face for ten years." He turned back to his work, quietly sipping from his own cup. It was lighter than hers – Tadashi always took his coffee with half and half, one sugar.

Why did she know that?

Fatigue and caffeine, that's all it was. She took a deep breath. Gogo hated how he made her feel sometimes – so awkward and shy. That wasn't her. Gogo kicked in doors, stormed through rooms and made the world deal with her on her terms. She didn't shuffle her feet, bite her lip or get heart flutters from some big sap whose idea of a big night was making batches of cookies with his Aunt. She looked at the cookies in the bowl. White chocolate and macadamia. Homemade. He probably had made them, and they were probably perfect.

"I mean," she said, unable to help from harvesting a cookie from the bowl, "You know that half the girls in Advanced Applied Science have a crush on you, and the other half wish that you were a lesbian girl so that they'd have a legitimate excuse for having a crush on you."

He laughed.

"I'm serious. Do you not notice the flying bodies of the people throwing themselves at you?" She bit into the cookie pensively. "You can't tell me you're not taking advantage of that at least a little."

Tadashi waved his hand dismissively. "First of all, you're exaggerating. Second, you should know me well enough to know I don't take advantage of people. Finally, I just have too much going on right now to date."

"Right. Like sitting in your garage at two thirty in the morning building a car for no reason." She took another bite. The cookie was delicious. That made her upset for some reason.

"No, more like hanging out with friends, talking and building something we can all use."

"Seriously, Tadashi, do you actually have a type, or is it some kind of nebulous thing?" It came out a bit more snappish than she had intended, but she had never managed to get a straight answer about his go-to excuse.

They fell silent. This wasn't really a topic they spoke seriously about. It felt like she had crossed some unspoken line in the sand. He didn't answer right away, instead running a virtual test for power flow through the vehicle. She also turned to the model for a moment, pulling aside a copy to work on the exterior layout for a while. It was a good ten minutes before he said anything. Gogo felt him looking at her, and she turned to face him.

A crooked smile crossed his features. She immediately cast her eyes down before turning away from him to look at the display again. He had many smiles – he smiled a lot. But that sort of broken smile he gave whenever they were alone together was one she could never really look directly at. "If you must know, I always go after girls that are out of my league."

"Pff." The dismissive sound marked the end of that line of questioning. It was because she was tired, over-caffeinated, and suffering from a carb overload.

"Thought you'd say that." His voice was quiet, but held a tired amusement. It made her feel funny, like a stone had materialized itself in her chest.

"That drivetrain isn't gonna fit," she called out, changing the subject abruptly as she stepped forward, hand flying across the screen. Uncertainty melted away as she reconfigured the design on the screen. It was safer than making eye contact with the boy who watched her work quietly. Gogo shoved the rest of the cookie in her mouth. It gave her a good excuse to not talk and gave her something to concentrate on.

oo00oo

Saturday Morning

She didn't remember when he fell asleep. Maybe it was some time around 3:30AM, maybe a little before. All she recalled was finishing most of the internal design and working through the bugs with power efficiency and turning to him for a review to find him passed out in his chair. Tadashi spent so many nights working late that she knew he was capable of sleeping nearly anywhere. She also knew that he was prone to getting a stiff neck that way. Tadashi didn't snore so much as make a soft rumbling noise like the purr of a large sleeping cat.

Gogo was acutely aware of the silence now. The only noise aside from his breathing was the ticking of the black and white clock on the wall. It was a stark contrast to how busy the rest of the Hamada garage and the café was. The markless clock tapped out the seconds for her. A sigh escaped her lips as she stood. Her back cracked and popped softly. The night was getting chilly.

Instinctively, she placed a hand on the side of Tadashi's face to see if he was cold with the intent of getting him a blanket. His skin was warm, and she smiled gently before realizing what she was doing. Her face flushed a bright crimson as she pulled her hand back like she had just touched a burning stovetop.

Her eyes traced the room again before resting on Tadashi's unconscious form. Gogo wandered over to the storage shelves. Surely they had to have some winter blankets or something in storage. She drew her arms around herself subconsciously for warmth as she looked. A minute or two of looking produced some clean towels. That would work.

Gogo forced her footsteps quiet as she placed the towel around his shoulders and chest and another over his legs. It was lame, but she didn't know what else to do. Waking him up would be impossible. When he went to sleep too late, Tadashi slept so heavily that nothing short of punching him would do it. She smiled. Gogo and Wasabi had spent more than a few nights working late, only to carry Tadashi over to the lab couch so he wouldn't have neck and back pain the next day.

The illumination from the screen and the dim garage light did nothing to mute how handsome he was. Even with his deadly brown eyes closed, she couldn't help but let her gaze linger a little too long at his firm jaw and the broad chest that rose and fell slowly with each breath. She readjusted the towel. Gogo could still feel the residual heat on her hand and for a split second imagined what it would feel like to be held by him, to feel that heat pressed against her.

She was never one for fantasy. Gogo acted on her impulses, using her gift for swift and accurate decision making on the fly. For the most part, things that she wanted soon became things she had. There was no reason to fantasize about anything. Nevertheless, the mental image seared into her mind almost immediately. Gogo wanted to feel him wrapped around her, to nuzzle her face between his chin and collar. The biker grit her teeth in frustration. This was unnecessary. These thoughts were supposed to be over, finished. Why did they always come back when they were alone?

They were friends. If she really thought about it, she was closer to him than most of her family. Tadashi had never tried to hurt or betray her. He was there when she needed someone to just be around. He let her speak when she wanted to and rarely pushed her unless she needed a push. Gogo couldn't think of a single situation where she wouldn't return the favor if he really needed her help. Tadashi just got her on a level so many others never bothered to reach.

She liked being his friend. She liked laughing and joking. She liked how she could express herself as little or as much as she liked and know he still understood. Gogo drew her arms around herself again and hugged herself tighter. Somehow the mental reassurances that he was the best friend a person could ask for didn't make her feel any warmer or better.

Too many missed opportunities, too many differences. Her mental fingers grasped desperately to wrap around the thoughts and strangle the life out of them to no avail. Fragments slowly became a whole. Photographic memories were a blessing and a curse. Gogo's was acute – unlike some that needed a cue or a keyword, Gogo had total recall on command. She rarely spoke of it, but the ability to retain and recall information in the blink of an eye was what made her a design and fabrication prodigy as well as a demon on wheels.

It also meant she recalled his scent from just being around him, the heat of his body from having to stand too close on the BART, the feel of his hands from an errant touch on the shoulder, the sound of his voice and a thousand other tiny details. Her mind took it a step further and gave her a tantalizing glimpse into what being held by him would be like, to feel his firm hands running across her back and his strong arms pulling her close. His lips pressed against hers…

She cursed silently, slipping the jacket she had removed hours ago back on. Quick hands zipped it quickly. She stood. It was time to go home. She could leave out of the side door, roll her motorcycle down the street a block and start her up without waking the Hamadas. Footsteps were careful. It wasn't that she was afraid of waking him – it was that she had the urge to maintain the silence. She stood by the garage side door, casting a last long look at the sleeping figure.

Maybe she only felt this way because she had never had such a close friend before. It was entirely possible that her emotional reliance on Tadashi had just grown unchecked into what she thought was… well, what was it, exactly? She hated the word 'love'. It was sappy, stupid, an antiquated sentiment for people that didn't know how the world really worked. But what else to call it? What else to call the feeling of wanting to be close to him and hear his voice in her ear, telling her he needed her?

Her heart started to pound, aching. It would never and could never be hers. She wouldn't know how to treat him anyway. No relationship she had ever had lasted over a month or two. Gogo lost interest or failed to communicate. Most of the time it had been her fault, and she knew it. Even if the feelings she had were real, she wouldn't be able to give him what he deserved. Tadashi needed a kind, gentle person that could give him care and attention, not some angry, cynical girl who couldn't admit to her own feelings.

She slipped out quietly, making sure the door was locked before stepping out towards the yellow motorcycle parked in the driveway. Cold hands shifted the bike to neutral as she slipped her helmet over her head and began to push the bike down the street. The only solution was that she would have to simply spend less time alone with him. Time and distance had always helped her quell her emotions before in other situations.

The decision made the night that much colder, and the longing to be held all the more painful.

oo00oo

Saturday Afternoon

Wasabi whistled appreciatively as he peered over the specs put in front of him as he bit into the panini Cass had made to order for him. Tadashi smiled at him tiredly, rubbing the back of his neck. "This is some serious work you two put in last night," Wasabi said, placing the tablet onto the table. The midday sun made the café light and breezy and the cold morning had slowly melted away, leaving a rather pretty day in its wake, punctuated only by the cool sea breeze that permeated the city. "How late were you guys up?"

Tadashi rubbed his eyes, yawning, only barely managing to cover his mouth. "I don't even remember. I'm pretty sure my brain shut down after three in the morning. I woke up covered in towels and she had already gone home."

"Huh." Wasabi decided to reserve his comments as Fred managed his way back to the table with a box of doghnuts. "You bought a dozen doughnuts? What on Earth are you going to do with that?"

"…dunk 'em in coffee?" Fred held up a large plastic mug with a grin. "Seriously, I have the fiercest munchies right now."

"You're going to finish all that on a single sitting!?"

"Nah, I'm saving some for the girls and you guys."

Tadashi laughed. It took a lot of effort to do that without passing out from fatigue. "So you mean you're saving four and eating the rest."

"Isn't that what I said?" Even Wasabi had to laugh a little at that.

"Where are the girls?" Tadashi asked after a moment of selecting a jelly doughnut. Aunt Cass's jelly filled doughnuts were the best, especially when she got her fresh shipments of boysenberry in. The young engineer had spent the better part of a week turning them into preserves with her. It was a little unfair to Fred in that he knew just how good they were, but he had gotten them all at the 'friend' discount so he didn't feel too guilty.

"Honey said she was running just a little late due to wanting to check up on a project she got approved through the chem lab," Wasabi said, finishing off his sandwich. He wiped his mouth carefully with a napkin before continuing. "Gogo… I thought you'd know seeing as you saw her last."

Tadashi shook his head. "No, although I guess I shouldn't be too surprised if she stayed up as late as I did and then had to ride back home on her own," he mused. "It's not like her to be late or not even call in, though…"

His voice trailed off as he took his phone out of his pocket. It buzzed audibly as he checked the screen. "Speak of the devil. Says she'll be in a few hours late because she overslept."

He tapped out a short response. [Cool. Going to stay late to help finish up the design specs tonight?]

[Sorry. Can't.] The text popped up less than a second after his reply.

Tadashi paused. He squinted at the display, as if it was somehow wrong. Gogo never responded that quickly.

"Something wrong, bro?" Fred asked through a mouthful of doughnut. Although usually lost in ahis own world, Fred's powers of observation could be upsettingly sharp on occasion.

"Nah. Just tired," was the response, which seemed to placate Fred. Something was off, though, and it made Tadashi feel uneasy.

oo00oo

Saturday Evening

She arrived later, the sound of her motorcycle's engine announcing her presence more than any response to the chorus of hellos and heys she received from the group as they sat together in the garage. They were already embroiled in reviewing the documentation and trying to cost out parts. Well, almost all of them. Fred was in the corner nursing a bit of a tummy ache from eating eight doughnuts in a single sitting

Gogo felt like a wreck. Her body had little energy even though she had slept in. Dark rings under her eyes were like the mottling on a fish or other poisonous creature, suggesting that those around her take care. Very little sleep had occurred when she managed to get home that morning. The feeling of loneliness had been almost overwhelming.

The entire night had been spent with the covers pulled up to her chin, staring at the ceiling. Her decision still played in her head as she moved it around and over, trying to convince herself it was for the best by looking at every angle. The bottom line was that she couldn't spend time wishing for things that would never come true. Life wasn't a Disney movie, after all. It was so easy to talk with him, be herself with him, to share with him. It was so easy to imagine that their friendship was something more. But it wasn't.

Spending time alone with him was only a cruel game of 'let's pretend' that she lost every time they were with others. Gogo saw that the same kindness and compassion he gave to her was what he gave to everyone else. She was nothing special to him. Nothing at all. She was just another good friend. That was what hurt the most.

All that pain could be masked. 'Woman up', a saying that people attributed to her as a catchphrase, was laced with a bitter irony. A real woman would face her emotions, handle them, deal with them. For the most part, she did with aplomb. She was in full control most of the time. When it came to her heart, however, Gogo crumpled it all into a wad and stuffed it down into her stomach, swallowing it until it stopped hurting and the numbness set in.

The sour, bitter taste sliding into her belly lingered at the back of her tongue when Tadashi approached her. She stared at him with the same emotionless mask she usually wore. Nothing would be out of the ordinary. "Hey. Sorry I'm only here a bit. Got some personal stuff I need to work on."

It was fair – Tadashi deserved at least a somewhat honest answer. The space would allow her sort out her feelings and systematically crush them where necessary. They'd still be friends, just without the annoying fetters of her sometimes overwhelming desire to run her fingers through his hair and kiss him when he gave her that knee-weakening smile of his. She slid into a chair in front of a terminal set up in his garage, letting herself slump forward a little.

"Anything I can help with? I mean, I don't want to pry or anything…" He looked terrible. Tadashi was as tired as she was. There was a clear stoop to his shoulders and a haggard look on his face and he still wanted to help her. She sighed. Only Tadashi.

She shook her head. "Nah. It's something I need to handle on my own, but it also means I can't help as much as I thought I would with this project."

"Oh."

Gogo peered up at him through the messy bangs that fell across her face. He looked disappointed. She chewed her gum. "If you really need me to stay…" All he had to do was ask her, and she wouldn't leave. 'Please stay' would be enough. That was the compromise she had made with herself.

"No, no, that's okay. You take care of your thing. We'll manage," he said, a tired smile crossing his face. "But if you need anything, let me know okay? While you're here, we do have a few things you can help with if you're up for it."

"Mmn," she replied, holding out her hand for the list of things she was supposed to find and cost out. Gogo immediately turned to the screen in front of her. Eyes tracked him as he left. She felt miserable and for the first time she admitted to herself that it was only partially due to lack of sleep.

oo00oo

Saturday Night

She needed a night out to distract her from her thoughts. Maybe she'd go find a race or some trouble to get into. That had always managed to calm her nerves back in high school. Of course it would be Honey Lemon that intercepted her at her motorcycle as she left. Gogo stared up balefully, the glare causing the woman in the floral print to nearly wilt.

"What." It wasn't a question so much as it was a demand. Practiced hand shifted the bike into neutral as she began to walk it away so as not to deafen her friends.

"Okay, so maybe it's not my place, but I saw you and Tadashi talking a little while ago. Is everything okay?"

She stifled a noise of frustration. Why couldn't anyone just leave her alone? She stayed the death glare only because Honey was new. The bubbly younger girl couldn't possibly know the danger she placed herself in by getting in her way. "Everything's fine," Gogo said tersely. How she managed to keep up with her in those heels Gogo would never know.

Honey's voice dropped into a whisper, leaning down closer as she looked to make sure they were out of earshot of the rest of the group. "Okay, so this might be a little presumptuous, but do you two have history together? Is he your ex or something?"

Gogo's eyes went wide for a split second before narrowing. Anger boiled up inside her as she turned to face the tall Hispanic girl. "You got about a second to explain why any of that is your business," she hissed.

Honey recoiled slightly, laughing nervously. "Er, well, I mean… that is, I just wanted to know so I didn't commit any faux pas by saying you two look kinda cute together. I mean, it looks like he's interested…"

The biker's jaw dropped as she ground to a halt. No words came out as she stared at the tall woman with a look that was equal parts confusion, anger, interest and uncertainty. After a solid five seconds of silence, the only word she was able to spit out was, "What?!"

"Ooh, oh no, am I making a mess of things?" Honey Lemon sighed. "Sorry, I just thought you'd want to know that he's always trying to sneak a peek at you when he thinks nobody's looking."

"No," Gogo said flatly. "He's just checking up on me because out of the five of us, I'm the one most likely to explode. Tadashi's… he's a peacekeeper, okay? He's everyone's best friend. Knows me better than anyone."

Honey Lemon looked unconvinced. "Okay, so I'm not the_ best_ with boys, but I'm pretty sure that's not..."

"Yes, it is," Gogo spat again. She didn't want to hear this. There was no way Honey was right. Gogo didn't want or need to hope again. She had already made up her mind.

Honey fell silent, completely at a loss for words. It was clear she wanted to say something, but wasn't too keen on arousing Gogo's ire. The Korean girl took the opportunity to start walking again, not waiting for her taller friend to collect her thoughts.

"Sorry," Honey said, head dropping slightly. "I just thought you liked him, too. I was just trying to help."

Gogo said nothing. She slid her helmet onto her head, slung her leg over the bike and took off, the roar overwhelming and numbing her from the words. Hopefully the next few days would go by quickly.

oo00oo

Sunday

The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife as Gogo quietly refused to speak at length with Honey Lemon and generally provided one or two word answers to any inquiries. She had relapsed into behaviors that she had largely exhibited when they first met. Still, she wasn't exactly rude or overtly cold. The best was to describe it was 'standoffish'. The day was spent fine tuning everything and placing part orders that Fred surreptitiously took. While there was a lot of questioning, the slacker boy only grinned, asserting that his guy would have what they needed.

Tadashi tread lightly around her. She could feel him practically tense up whenever she got near him, and it was hard to stifle the feelings of uncertainty and regret. She had promised to help finish the project. If Gogo was honest with herself, she knew that it wasn't fair to him. After all, it wasn't his fault.

At the end of the day, Fred was handed the parts list. He looked at it for a moment or two, nodded, and assured them all that he could get these things. Skeptical grumbling didn't seem to bother him all as he left early to go and allegedly take care of the order.

Wasabi posited the theory that Fred was selling drugs. Gogo responded that he was probably on them, not selling them. It was the most she had said that day. By nightfall, she was more or less back to her old self, but she had refused to stay very late. Gogo excused herself after having her share of the customary pizza and refused to acknowledge the fact that she caught Tadashi watching her leave with a pensive look on his face.

oo00oo

Monday

The parts came in on Monday, much to everyone's surprise. Fred had reiterated his story about 'knowing a guy', which held water up until an investigation demonstrated that the parts were brand new, factory sealed, and had come in a legitimate delivery truck. Tadashi told them not to look a gift horse in the mouth which quickly ended a lot of inquiry. The stripped down Element was descended upon by a team of determined SFIT students.

The specs would make the vehicle a hidden beast, as the design had only allowed for one real aesthetic, which Honey Lemon had diplomatically called 'kind of box shaped' and Gogo had described as 'ugly'. With her help the machine would be fully loaded, however. The thing was an electric monster, capable of a top end of 130 mile per hour in less than five seconds as a result of instant torque provided by the motor.

While Wasabi had questioned the need for that much power in what was effectively an aluminum lunchbox on wheels, Gogo's glare was enough to get him to be quiet. Due to its unassuming exterior and powerful electronic components within, Fred had named it the 'Rave'. He designed a logo using markers and leftover card stock from one of Hiro's old school presentations, which Honey Lemon interpreted a little more carefully.

Work had gone smoothly for the most part. Wasabi's exacting nature had allowed them to engage in a method of assembly that was unparalleled. Tadashi had borrowed an assembly waldo and robot arm from the lab to assist in manipulation and placement of heavier equipment. Gogo had done most of the fine installation and wiring, Honey was in charge of the paint, detailing and interior design, and Fred brought in an industrial tub of snack foods and caffeinated beverages with cans festooned in a language nobody could identify, and flavors nobody could describe.

Even with their questionable origin, they were delicious, save for one mishap in which Wasabi drank one of the questionable beverages and had uncontrollable hiccups for forty five minutes. Gogo was back on speaking terms with Honey and was effectively conversing with Tadashi again, allowing everyone to finally breathe. With the tension relaxed, it was easy to fall back into old roles.

With that ease came faster work. Parts were assembled quickly amidst teamwork, assemblies were mounted, secured and installed. Wiring was checked, double checked and circuits were completed. By the end of the day they had gotten the starter to work. Cheers, high fives and trepidation completely was forgotten all around.

Joking, laughing, teasing, it came natural to the group in general, but even moreso between Tadashi and Gogo. The easygoing but quick wit clashed playfully off of Gogo's dry, wicked sense of humor. Honey had to bite her tongue the entire time. Even so, it was nice to feel like everything was settling back into place. Gogo still refused to stay later than she had to, although she was sorely tempted just on the project alone.

Then Tuesday happened.

oo00oo

Tuesday Evening

It was the last push, but everyone was getting tired. They had been making the big push for the final build and test drive, but between Gogo's impatience, Tadashi's attempt to reign it in, and a small hiccup that made motor installation impossible, three of the five students had spent the last half hour laying around, listening to their friends argue.

The battle had begun almost immediately after taking final stock of the remaining parts. The engine mounts appeared to be the wrong size, which would require extensive re-engineering. More importantly, it had put a considerable delay in finishing the project.

"Listen, I hear what you're saying, but that's just not going to work, Gogo," Tadashi pointed out on the screen. "But that's just not going to work with the tools we have on hand. Let's face it, we'll have to wait until we get a new shipment."

Gogo made a face. "No, we can modify this. We're so close to getting this thing done, I'm not going to sit around and wait for Fred to rub his magic lamp or whatever it is that makes the parts come."

Tadashi shook his head. "I'm telling you, that's not going to be structurally stable. Reactive motor mounts will put all our electrical balancing out of whack, too." A few taps demonstrated that the auto-balancing system Gogo proposed for the engine would interfere with the power draw.

"Guys, I'm sorry, but I'm getting sleepy," Honey said as she uncoiled herself from the beanbag chair sitting near the back of the garage. She looked at her two friends embroiled in the heated argument, and then back to Fred and Wasabi, who could only trade glances and shrug.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Gogo said dismissively, her eyes narrowed as she tried a different configuration. Tadashi's hand swooped in, immediately tapping out the simulated diagnostic sequence to show her why her unspoken new idea wouldn't work.

"Have a good one, Honey," Tadashi said, looking up from the work to flash the tall girl a smile before immediately turning back to work.

Fred's stomach announced its displeasure at being empty and questioned the possibility of food. He grimaced as he stood.

"I could use something to eat, too," Wasabi supplied as if answering Fred's stomach's inquiry.

"Mmhmm," came a completely absent response from Tadashi. Two fingers swiped away Gogo's changes on the screen. "No, that'll just put it off balance."

"No it won't! Look, here's the force dynamics!"

"Did you even check to see how the torque will affect it?"

"Ugh!"

After a few glances, another stomach gurgle, and more declarations of leaving later, Honey left with Wasabi and Fred in tow, to allow the pair to argue amongst themselves.

oo00oo

Tuesday Night

Neither of them really noticed that everyone had gone until they both stumbled upon the solution. There was only a vague feeling that something was amiss, but the problem had been way more important. Heated discussions regarding technical details and issues with the design from the ground up had come and gone, but the final solution had been a simple one – they'd simply use some of the leftover Element parts and go with a mechanical solution rather than an overly complicated electronic one.

The excitement of the 'ah hah' moment was muted almost immediately as the pair turned to a dark, empty garage. Gogo looked at the clock, squinted, and rubbed her eyes. She laughed tiredly. "It's eight thirty. Everybody went home. We've been going over this thing for four hours. "

The tall boy ran his fingers through his hair, exhaling as if exhausted. "Wow. I don't know whether to laugh or cry," he said before turning to her, a tired smirk on his features. "We don't have to do anything but weld, bolt, and install, but I know you've already gone past curfew on this one. You want to break for tomorrow?"

Gogo looked away. 'Curfew'. He was making a joke of it, like he normally did. She was acutely aware that she was now alone yet again with him. Attempting to stay away hadn't worked very well at all. All it did was avoid the situation, not address it. She was silent for a moment, feigning lethargy to hide her sudden anxiety and hesitation. Tadashi still had that effect on her even after she tried to stay away.

"…I'd rather see if we can't finish this tonight, if it's all the same to be you," she heard him say. Guileless eyes glanced at the broken smile on his face. "Please?"

The girl closed her eyes. She took a sharp breath to clear her mind. Just one night. It would be fine. "Sure." A small smile crept onto her face.

Tadashi's face lit up like a kid's. His boyish grin made her heart pound like a triphammer. "Great. I'll go get us something to eat and we'll get started?" She fought the urge to step over to him and throw her arms around his neck.

"Okay." Gogo watched him disappear into the house, and she sat down heavily in her chair, groaning out of sheer frustration.

Just one night. It would be fine.

oo00oo

Tuesday Late Night

The welding torch filled the garage with acrid fumes. Gogo didn't mind, though. The welding mask allowed her to hide her face and eyes which needed protection from more than the sparks flying from the torch. The work allowed her to focus anyway. The crackle of the torch combined with the shrieking of metal on metal as Tadashi punched holes in the framework of the vehicle so that the assembly Gogo was creating could be bolted in. Rubber bushings would provide the shock absorption they had been looking for – an oddly low tech answer for what would be one of the most advanced motorized boxes on the streets of San Fransokyo.

The torch sputtered to a halt. Now all that was left was to find the fasteners and use the robot arms that Tadashi had brought in to mount, attach, brace and connect the motor and they'd be ready to go, theoretically. Gogo's gloved hand lifted the mask from her face, and she wiped her forehead with the arm of her long sleeved shirt as she wandered over to the car to look into the cavity where the motor would be.

She stepped gingerly over his feet, which stuck out of the bottom of the vehicle. Leaning over, she could see where the drill was punching through yet another carefully measured bolt hole. Tadashi's face would periodically be visible through the holes he was boring in the car and she waved at him with a neutral expression, trying to get his attention with minimal effort. "Hey. Done with my part."

The sound of the mechanic creeper's wheels filled the garage as Tadashi rolled out from underneath the vehicle and she couldn't help but give him a small smile. He squinted at her from behind his goggles as if to ask what was so funny. Her heavy gloved hands reached up to dust off his shoulders, the metal shavings sprinkling to the ground like metallic dandruff.

"Sorry, now it's all over your clothes and hair," Gogo said, stepping back as he tried to shake some of the metal powder and shavings off of himself. "Sparkly. You're like a Japanese Edward Cullen."

"Great. Should I start stalking you and hovering over your bed while you sleep now?"

She rolled her eyes and shoved him, definitely not wanting to entertain thoughts of 'Tadashi' and 'bed' at the same time for the sake of her sanity. "Let's get this motor in and crank her up. We're overdue for the big reveal on whether this stupid thing will work by three hours."

"You're the boss," was the amused reply as Tadashi slipped on the telemetry gloves over his hands. The robotic arms moved towards Gogo's engine mount assembly as she sat back to watch the man work. Tadashi was pretty good at the practical aspects of being an engineer. He wasn't afraid of getting his hands dirty by any means and was capable of assembling things from scratch almost as quickly as she could.

The difference was that his work went from 'good' to 'art' the moment the amalgam of motors, wires and circuit boards meshed together. Easygoing and calm shifted to focused and driven when he got down to work, and Gogo couldn't help marvel at how the waldos practically danced as he directed the manipulating claws to lift the assembly, place it perfectly and begin the delicate task of bolting it in. Even if she wasn't already attracted to Tadashi, watching him work would definitely make her take note.

Wait, what?

She folded her arms and huffed, watching the motor being lowered in. How many times would this go around? Denial, confusion, anxiety, longing – it was all so… not her. Tadashi just wasn't easy for her to read like most boys which left her in the dark. The worst part was that she actually liked him as a person – he wasn't just a cheap thrill or dumb arm candy. It would have ended ages ago if he just had the decency to be another stupid fling.

She still didn't really know how she felt about him. Was it just infatuation? Something more? Maybe there was only one way to find out. The last bolt being fastened into place broke her out of her introspection. The biker rolled her head and shoulders, hearing her neck pop and crack. She snapped her gum.

"Well, it's secure. All that's left is plugging it in."

She shoved off the table. Time to see if she couldn't make some connections.

oo00oo

Wednesday Morning –Early

It was one in the morning. The wiring took a lot longer than they had anticipated. Being tired hadn't helped. At least the conversation had loosened up. It didn't take too long for them to start talking about the rest of the summer, their plans and what they'd be doing when school started again. That had all been well and good, but things had quickly gotten tense once the work had completed.

He looked into her eyes. She looked back, running her tongue over her teeth inside her mouth. Tired eyes did nothing to hide the trepidation they felt. Gogo finally let go of a breath that she had no idea she had been holding. "So…"

"Yeah."

"I guess we should…"

"Yeah."

"…so c'mon. Do it."

"Yeah."

She paused, then reached over. Gogo's fingers slid over his, an encouraging smile crossing her lips. "Hey." Her hand gave his a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah?" Tadashi was being very eloquent. His face was flushed and so was hers. Wiring work was cramped and hot work. Already warm bodies made the front seats of the Rave almost uncomfortably hot.

The hand on his became an iron claw. The jingle and slamming sound of Gogo ramming his key hand against the ignition overrode any other thought. "Stop dicking around and turn on the effing car! We've been sitting here for five minutes!"

"Augh! Geez, okay! Cut it out!" Tadashi shook her hand free as bleary eyes and fumbling hands finally slid the key into the slot. The sound of him taking in a sharp breath preceded the soft click of the key turning.

The soft whirl of the motor activating coincided with the ignition of running lights. The soft ping of the console flaring into existence lit their features like downtown San Fransokyo on a Friday night. Both of them stared. It worked. She had her doubts that the crate would keep from catching fire, but everything seemed to be functioning. He opened his mouth, and she put her hand over it.

"Shh," Gogo hissed as she plugged in her diagnostics tablet. Images flared to life. All circuits were complete. All sensors online. No errors, no hiccups, everything green across the board. Her eyes lifted up to look to him, wide and devoid of fatigue or skepticism. "I don't believe it."

"What?"

"I've… I've never seen a project come off perfect at startup. There's usually a glitch, or a forgotten or loose connection, or… or _something_."

"…so it works?"

"…yes." Wide brown eyes scanned the tablet yet again, incredulously. "Yes it does."

She was immediately swept up in a huge hug. Her heart went into immediate overdrive, face flushing bright crimson as he pulled her close as he let out a cheer of sheer childlike excitement. The only response she could provide was a squeak of confusion. Before she could struggle, complain, or worse yet pull closer and hug him back, he pushed her away, holding her at arm's length by the shoulders with a huge grin on his face. If he noticed her rattled appearance, he said nothing of it.

"This is awesome! So, so awesome!" The young woman really didn't have much to add aside from a flustered smile. The jingle of the keys falling into her lap forced her to look away from his beaming face. "Here. You do the honors of the first test drive."

"...done." All concern and uncertainty disappeared. She reached over and snatched his cap off his head, setting it snug on her own.

"Uh." Tadashi's eyes went wide at the shark-like grin crossing the girl's face.

oo00oo

Wednesday Morning

"Regretting my decision!"

The scream of the electric motor mingled with Tadashi's occasional shouts of surprise as Gogo put the vehicle through its paces. Confident hands shifted without so much as a thought around the contours of San Fransokyo as she popped her gum. "I've seen you ride your moped. How is this worse?"

"It's a moped! It has a top speed of forty! Car!"

"Stop being a baby. This thing shifts like butter and… hold on," she swerved around a corner, narrowly squeezing between two sedans. Tadashi muted a scream. "And it accelerates like a greyhound on pixie stix."

"Do you have to drive like a supervillain is chasing us?" His fingers dug into the sides of the seat.

A smirk. "What are you, Fred? Anyhow, you never know when that might come in handy. Oh hey! Look! Lombard Street!"

"…is it okay if I wet myself?"

"Such a baby man."

oo00oo

Wednesday Morning - Dawn

The Rave's motor whirled to a stop in front of the Hamada residence, and Tadashi heaved a sigh of relief. She turned to him, popping a bubble in his face.

"I cannot believe you went down Lombard like that. Don't you have any sense of propriety?"

"Depends. What's 'propriety'?

"It's what keeps you from traumatizing people and their chihuahuas."

"Nothing that therapy can't fix. Besides, that guy was dressed in a tutu. A little dose of reality may have helped him."

Tadashi shook his head with a smile. "Unbelievable."

She tilted her head, tossing the keys back at him with a smirk on her face. "Thanks for letting me do the test drive."

"Thanks for staying to help finish," he opened the door to step out. "I was beginning to think you didn't like me anymore."

Gogo slipped out of the car and leaned on the open door, resting her chin on her arms. "Just some personal issues I needed to work through. I think I got things under control."

The boy stepped over to her side. The streetlight lit him up just so, emphasizing his features. Clean cut, strong jaw, deep brown eyes. When did he get so tall? Thoughts instantly became scattered as she could feel his proximity. Breath came soft and shallow.

He pushed up the bill of the hat on her head. She looked up with wide eyes. Molars ground gum into liquid. Lips parted to say something, but nothing came out. She stared, locked in his gaze as if hypnotized. He halted. Was his hand shaking?

'Under control' might have been a bit of an exaggeration.

They moved closer. A hand rose instinctively to press against his chest as she closed her eyes.

The sudden gust of air on her head shocked her eyes back open. Tadashi moved away suddenly. Her eyes flicked to watch as his hat slipped back onto his head.

"…you don't mind if I take this back, do you?"

Was that a blush on his face?

"…no." She looked away, then down at her feet.

"Um… thanks again."

"Sure."

"So… "

"Yeah." A sigh. "G'night, Hamada."

"Hey."

"Mn?"

"Let's work on something else together sometime."

She smiled. "Okay." He followed her to her bike. Practiced hands put it in neutral as she pushed it down the short driveway. She watched him wave as she looked over her shoulder. It'd be a little harder than reassembling an old car, but she had some idea of a project they could work on together.

The helmet felt a little lighter as she slipped it on before roaring down the street.

oo00oo

Tadashi was so tired and lightheaded that all he could do was concentrate on was the thud of his footsteps heading up the stairs of his home.

"So, d'ya kiss her yet?" Hiro sat in the kitchen with a giant soup spoon buried in a caramel turtle ice cream container, dressed in shorts and a white T-Shirt with a BurgerBot logo on it.

"Hiro, why are you still awake?"

"I've been eating nothing but candy and ice cream since Aunt Cass passed out watching The Killer Shrews," Hiro explained. "I'm so hyper, I'm starting to see individual air molecules. So did you kiss her or what?"

"No, I didn't," Tadashi said irritably. "Not that it's really any of your business."

Hiro pointed the spoon at him. "C'mon. Wasn't that the whole point of this past week's 'big project'? That's just sad, big bro. Sad. I'd weep for you if I all this sugar hadn't caused me to transcend mortal emotions."

Tadashi snatched the ice cream tub from Hiro's lap. "Give me that. You're going to be gassy tomorrow, or did you forget you're lactose intolerant?"

"Hey! Only when I have too much dairy!"

"And how much did you eat?" The tub went back into the freezer.

"…half a tub."

"Ugh. You're going to sound like a kazoo orchestra."

"Stop derailing my attempts at making fun of your miserable love life," Hiro grumped. "I still don't know why you went through all that trouble to find a car for you guys to work on and then completely chicken out. It's not like you're _that_ bad with girls."

"Shut up. It's not like that. She's not into me. I just… I like spending time with her, okay? It's cool to work with someone that gets what you're about."

"On a scale of one to ten, is it as cool as making out with them if they're also a hot chick?"

Tadashi grit his teeth. "I'm going to bed."

Hiro grinned. "_Oh Tadashi, I'd love to come over and work on your junk_!"

"_Going to bed now._"


End file.
